TCR AUSTRALIA SIM RACING GRID SET FOR TONIGHT

TCR Australia Sim Racing grid set for tonight – Photo: Supplied

The grid for the inaugural round of the TCR Australia Sim Racing Series has been confirmed with 13 competitors set to take to the virtual Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit tonight.

By DAN McCARTHY

The brand-new series will begin at the Melbourne venue that was to be the home of the inaugural TCR Asia Pacific Cup in March before the coronavirus pandemic forced the Australian Grand Prix to be cancelled.

After the ARG eSport Cup, this will be the second Australian Racing Group run sim racing series.

Unlike the eSport Cup which catered for all ARG categories, the latest series is for TCR Australia and New Zealand drivers only.

Reigning TCR Australia champion Will Brown will be representing the HMO Customer Racing team in his #1 Hyundai i30 N TCR, his teammate will be TCR NZ competitor Jaden Ransley who took out the ARG eSport Cup and is considered the early title favourite.

Brown and Ransley are two of four i30 Ns in the field, with New Zealanders Peter Vodanovich and Brock Timperley.

Wall Racing will field two of its real-life racing drivers with Tony D’Alberto and John Martin both driving their Civic Type R cars.

Privateer young gun Zac Soutar will also be competing in a Civic, the same model car with which he will compete in his maiden TCR series this season.

Former Bathurst 1000 winner Jason Bargwanna will get behind the wheel of the sole sim racing entered Peugeot 308.

After finishing third in the ARG eSport Cup Dylan O’Keeffe is expected to be a front runner in a Garry Rogers Motorsport Renault Megane TCR car.

TCR Australia regular Chelsea Angelo and former Toyota 86 driver Luke King will be driving the two Volkswagen Golfs.

Toyota 86 Racing Series round winner Liam McAdam and Rowan Shepard will represent Audi in their RS 3s.

Alfa Romeo driver Jay Hanson will miss the opening round due to prior commitments but has confirmed that he will join the grid next week at Mount Panorama along with other local and international guests are expected to join the field from Round 2.

As previously reported by Auto Action the series will take place on the Assetto Corsa platform and will see drivers tackle several Australian racetracks before finishing the season in Macau.

The Albert Park event will be streamed live on the TCR Australia YouTube and Facebook channels as well as the Auto Action website, starting at 8pm AEST tonight.

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