TCR AUSTRALIA: THE AA COVER YOU NEVER SAW

TCR to expand to Australia – Photo: LAT

AFTER AN embarrassing false start, global giant TCR is set to expand into Australia next year following the finalisation of a deal with a local promoter.

By MARK FOGARTY

CAMS has confirmed that long-running negotiations with the new Australian Racing Group have been successfully concluded in the wake of an extended contract dispute.

TCR Australia was supposed to have been officially launched at the end of June, but a last-minute hitch caused a lengthy postponement.

Now that the agreement with ARG is finally signed, TCR Australia is due to begin in late 2019, joining the World Touring Car Cup and several other national and regional series for the turbocharged two-litre tourers.

In what is believed to be a five-year agreement, ARG has been granted the commercial and promotional rights to TCR in Australia by CAMS, which in turn bought the local licence from Touring Car Racing Series founder Marcello Lotti.

ARG is a new high-powered promoter group that also holds the category management rights to Super5000, the modern V8-powered open-wheelers inspired by Formula 5000.

As revealed by AUTO ACTION on June 28, TCR Australia was all set to launch until an 11th hour drama as CAMS and ARG failed to agree on final details of the proposed contract.

AA had been extensively pre-briefed by CAMS CEO Eugene Arocca and ARG director Matt Braid to coincide with the official announcement on the same day as issue #1739 went on sale.

But right on deadline, CAMS urgently notified us that the contract signing had been delayed indefinitely, forcing a late – and costly – change to the cover.

The original cover featured TCR and is shown here for the first time. The banner was “TURBO TERRIERS”, supported by “Two-litre tourers are back – Should Supercars be scared?” and “REVEALED: TCR Australia’s Powerful Backers”.

The original cover for Auto Action 1739

The news spread on pages 4-5 also had to be hastily altered, removing a photo of Arocca and Braid “signing” the TCR Australia contract and adding a “Stop Press” disclaimer that the deal was still subject to an unexpected delay.

We were shocked by the CAMS-led backdown as there had been no indication during our pre-brief that the contract hadn’t been formally signed.

Amid much consternation at CAMS and ARG, we published with our hurriedly hedged coverage.

But there was no backlash, thanks to some deft “crisis management” by ARG’s spin doctor that portrayed the deal as being nevertheless imminent.

Having been briefed on the awkward situation, other media reported that ARG was poised to secure the TCR Australia rights, as did AA’s website – although we also outlined the basic backstory to the late change in the magazine.

However, the TCR Australia drama dodged a bullet because the revelation that ARG – backed by wealthy businessmen enthusiasts – was the preferred bidder overshadowed the behind-the-scenes angst.

And to be fair, there was always the likelihood that the deal would eventually be finalised once CAMS’ concerns were assuaged, which ARG maintained would happen.

A month later, the obstacles have been overcome and the deal to bring the world’s most widespread touring car racing class to Australia has been signed and sealed.

ARG is talking with Supercars and the Shannons Nationals to secure late 2019 dates for TCR Australia’s debut, and already “a lot of interest” is being reported among manufacturers and potential entrants.

Meanwhile, the latest on Super5000 is that ARG is on the verge of confirming the thundering V8 open-wheelers’ technical package.

ARG is also looking to get S5000 on the support program at selected Supercars events and key Shannons Nationals meetings next year.

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