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TCR CUPRAS OZ BOUND

TCR Cupra's Oz Bound - Photo: Supplied

By Bruce Williams

TCR Cupra's Oz Bound - Photo: Supplied

TCR Cupras Oz Bound – Photo: Supplied

A new brand is set to debut in TCR Australia in the coming rounds as Cupra expands the growing marque list to nine in the burgeoning series.

BY HEATH McALPINE

Entering the Spanish manufacturer Seat’s performance brand to the field is Melbourne-based Garage1, headed by renowned race car builder Marty Brant, a man that has plenty of experience including in Supercars and Touring Car Masters.

The move is an exciting one for Brant, who is attracted to the international appeal and the new challenge TCR provides.

“It’ll be good to go back and do some proper racing,” Brant told Auto Action. “One-make series are great, but this a worldwide thing and the opportunity is there for the taking. We just put our hand up.”

“It’s a proper race car, that’s what I’m really looking forward to.”

The choice of the Cupra is an obscure one as the model and brand are not sold in Australia, but the combination of the Leon’s success overseas and the Volkswagen Audi Group’s support gave Brant the confidence to choose the marque.

“There’s a number of reasons why I went that way, but the support of Volkswagen and Audi platform is definitely one of them from a spares point of view, just the point of difference is the other and the Cupra has been quite successful,” Brant continued.

The Cupra Leon was used by Marcello Lotti as the basis of the original TCR regulations, coming out of the same factory as the Audi RS3 TCR and Volkswagen Golf TCR in Spain. The first Cupra is expected to arrive within the next week as is a spare parts package, while plans are already in place to bring at least two more into the country Auto Action understands.

Brant confirmed the Cupra’s planned debut is for Sandown next month, though there is a ‘big question mark’ over who will drive it.

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