MOTORSPORT: TCR targeting 20-car grid

Australia’s new hot-hatch touring car category is expecting to reach its initially capped 20-car grid in season one.

TCR Australia today launched its on-track activities with Volkswagen, Audi, Hyundai and Honda turbo hot-hatch racers lapping in anger for the first time Down Under.

The day at Sydney Motorsport Park is designed to give interested entrants a chance to see, feel and drive cars from first of the marques to commit to the local series.

It was also TCR Australia’s opportunity to confirm a multi-year tyre supply deal with Michelin. The French tyre giant has a strong relationship with TCR across the globe.

Series organiser, the Australian Racing Group (ARG), said it expects the first driver and team line-ups to be announced before the end of 2018 and that TCR Australia would cap its 2019 grid at 20 cars – with a maximum of five cars per manufacturer.

“There are 10 brands with homologated cars present in the Australian marketplace, so there’s plenty of scope,” ARG boss Matt Braid told carsales.com.au.

“The 20 entrants, we’re not concerned that will happen although official entries haven’t been placed, we’re very close from the expressions of interest.

“From a brand point of view, there’s some nervousness but from a public point of view, a commercial point of view and a manufacturer point of view, we don’t want see the series skewed to one brand too much,” he explained.

The seven-round maiden TCR Australia series will kick off in May and run alongside the CAMS Shannons Nationals series. TCR Australia will be the headline act for the series, Braid said.

Also confirmed today was the race format for the inaugural championship. Each round will comprise three 30-minute races. There are no plans for endurance races in 2019, Braid said.

A number of high-profile Supercars team personnel were on hand at the TCR Australia competitor briefing that accompanied the test drive event. The Garry Rogers and Brad Jones operations were represented and current or recent Supercars drivers on hand included Chaz Mostert, James Moffat and Jason Bright.

Michelin was the official tyre supplier for the two opening seasons of TCR International in 2015/2016. The company currently supplies TCR Asia, China, Scandinavia, Thailand and the Spanish Endurance Championship.