MOTORSPORT: Manufacturer interest yet to build for TCR Australia

The freshly-hatched four-cylinder touring car category that is set to serve as an undercard to the Supercars championship next year could eventually draw greater manufacturer presence than the main game itself, but it’s early days.

As reported by motoring.com.au earlier today, Australian Racing Group (ARG), a new body headed by former Volvo Australia boss and V8 Supercars executive, Matt Braid, is proposing to race “six to eight” national rounds of TCR (Touring Car Racing), in part as a support act to Supercars in 2019.

TCR is a global category and features factory-built four-cylinder turbo front-drive hatchbacks and sedans, typically run by teams with a commercial affiliation to manufacturers.

Brands such as Audi, Volkswagen, Honda and Hyundai are currently involved in different iterations of the series across Europe, Asia and the US, and already, the category has piqued the interest of their Aussie affiliates.

Down Under the OEM jury is still out, however, it seems.

“We’re very excited by the opportunity and we’ve got a car that meets the requirements,” Audi Australia spokesman Shaun Cleary told motoring.com.au today.

“We have an Australian partner – Melbourne Performance Centre. They’ve had the relationship direct with Germany for several years, and have run the R8 LMS in the Australian GT championship on behalf of the factory.

“Melbourne Performance Centre is absolutely capable of running cars for any TCR series.”

The TCR category would finally provide Audi an avenue for its highly-touted RS3 LMS to race Down Under, according to Cleary.

“A brand-new RS 3 LMS is available in Australia for around $240,000,” he said.

Hyundai Australia is also upbeat. It says it sees opportunity to race TCR to coincide with the Australian rollout of the new i30 N hot hatch as well as other N models.

“We’re looking at TCR in detail,” revealed Hyundai Australia spokesman, Bill Thomas.

“[Hyundai N performance boss] Albert Biermann has been personally involved in making sure the TCR Hyundai program happens internationally. Given the N brand has just launched in Australia, it’s a strong idea for us.”

Elsewhere Down Under, the TCR concept is yet gain serious traction.

Honda Australia director Stephen Collins said there are no motorsport ambitions within Honda’s current local plans.

“We could consider parts or technical support for select privateers, but again, nothing is planned at this stage,” he said.

Similarly, Kia Australia says the timing isn’t right to launch into serious motorsport backing in Australia.

TCR does present as an opportunity for Renault with its upcoming Megane RS in Australia. Alas, the French manufacturer’s local arm has no plans to go racing.

“At this early stage in the new Megane RS’s life we are focusing on the road-going vehicle which will be launching later this year. We don’t currently have any plans to compete in TCR locally,” spokeswoman Emily Fadeyev said.

And despite launching a TCR version of the Golf GTI street car in Australia next year, Volkswagen Australia says it won’t commit.

“We’re bringing out a Golf GTI TCR limited edition next year, but as to the racing series, Volkswagen Australia has no plans for this or any form of motorsport,” spokesman Paul Pottinger said.

One potential suitor for TCR could be Ford Australia. The blue oval’s national marketing boss, Danni Winter, recently told motoring.com.au that Ford is leaving its options open.

“There’s nothing to announce yet, but with the launch of the Ford Performance brand, I think that really opens us up to newer avenues as we bring in a suite of new models,” Winter said.

“We have nothing to announce today but we will continue to consider and explore just as we have done with Supercars. That was 18 months development, maybe longer… A lot of factors play into that including where we’re at in other parts of the world,” Winter told motoring.com.au.

Irrespective of how many manufacturers tip in to support the series, Braid says he is not positioning TCR to take over as Australia’s premier racing category.

“The purpose of the Australian Racing Group is not to take on Supercars… I want to make it very clear,” Braid told motoring.com.au.

“This isn’t setting up a rival to Supercars… It’s really, for want of a better term, bundling all [support] categories together in one entity, improving them and improving the product as best we can for the competitors, the promoters and the fans, to then support various events.”