MOTORSPORT: TCR Australia confirms commentary line-up

Greg Rust and Aaron Noonan have been announced as broadcasting hosts of the inaugural TCR Australia racing series, which gets underway later this month.

The veteran duo will headline each round of the TCR championship via free-to-air broadcaster SBS, along with a live stream via the TCR Australia and Shannons Nationals websites. Joining them from the pit lane of each round will be Emma Notarfranceso and Cameron van den Dungen.

The 2.0-litre touring car series, which is based on a global formula, starts next weekend (May 18-19) in Sydney and will run over seven rounds in its inaugural Australian championship.

It has already attracted car-maker support from Honda and big-name drivers including Jason Bright, Tony D’Alberto and Molly Taylor.

Rust, a long-time contributor to carsales.com.au, said the TCR series promised to inject variety into the Australian motorsport scene.

"I had so much fun working on the Shannons Nationals live stream last year. It was just good to do something fresh. With TCR joining the line-up and coverage on SBS 2019 is going to be a ripper year,” said Rust.

"It kind of takes me back to where it all began. My first proper TV job was with SBS in the mid '90s. And it has a little of a Super Touring vibe about it. I loved working on that series too.

“Different makes, drivers and teams from various motor sport backgrounds and a brilliant broadcast team. Plus I've seen TCR up close in Singapore when I've covered the F1 race there – it’s fantastic that it's coming Down Under.”

Noonan is no stranger to the motorsport paddock either, namely as a long-time Supercars regular through his V8 Sleuth website and Network 10 commitments.

He said the return of a competitive touring car category to Australia revived a formula that was extremely successful through the ’80s and ’90s.

“I’m really excited about the TCR Australia Series and bringing the action to fans around the country, mainly due to the simple fact it’s an all-new series that is absolutely impossible to predict -- there’s no form guide or runs on the board yet,” said Noonan.

"There’s a whole fleet of cars brand-new to the country, a range of well-credentialed drivers that will be adapting to them and a great blend of makes and models -- it’s those elements that see me keen to get to Sydney for round one and see who stacks up where.”

SBS’s coverage of TCR will begin on Saturday, May 18 at 2:00pm, with one race to feature on the one-hour show on Saturday, while Sunday’s broadcast will showcase two back-to-back races and run from 1:00-3:00pm on May 19.

The Shannons Nationals live stream will be available to view on thenationals.com.au and tcraustralia.com, with a stream all day on both Saturday and Sunday.

Preparations for the TCR Australia Series opener are in full swing with 12 drivers confirmed for round one at Sydney Motorsport Park.