MORE RACES FOR TOURING CAR MASTERS IN 2018

More Touring Car Masters racing in 2018 – Photo: Supplied

Touring Car Masters organisers have today unveiled a new race weekend format that now includes four races per round – up from three last year.

The series will now have one practice session, one qualifying and four races at each of the eight rounds scheduled for the 2018 season.

At each round, three official series races will then be followed by the now-traditional Trophy race to conclude each weekend.

Series Races will be numbered one through 24 across the season, with the 8 Trophy races taking to 32 the total number of races across the year – a record for any single TCM season.

Series Races will again pay points towards the class and overall titles, while competitors will each receive 10 points for starting the trophy race – and a further 10 should they finish it as per the last two years.

Five bonus points will also be allocated for pole position at each round.

The grid for race one will be determined on qualifying results, with progressive grids determining the starting order for subsequent races. The Trophy race will again feature inverted grids based on qualifying performances.

Rolling starts will continue to be a feature of the series in each race.

Meanwhile, TV Details for the season have also been confirmed. Every session will be shown Live on FOX Sports 506 this year, while selected races will also be shown live and free on Network Ten at major events throughout the year.

At the Adelaide 500 it will be race two – scheduled for 11:15am on Friday morning – that will be shown on Network Ten.

Reigning series champion Steven Johnson (Team Johnson Ford Mustang) and newcomer Jim Pollicina (Holden Torana A9X) will carry in-car cameras in Adelaide.

The 2018 Touring Car Masters season represents the biggest in series history.

After the customary start of the season in Adelaide, the series will return to Tasmania’s Symmons Plains Raceway for the first time in several seasons.

Traditional rounds at Winton and Darwin then follow, before the series makes its highly anticipated debut in Townsville this July.

The season will be closed out by rounds at Sandown, Bathurst and the Newcastle 500.

The grid for the season-opening Adelaide 500 will be announced in due course.

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