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TILLEY FALCON GTHO SET FOR TCM COMEBACK

By Dan McCarthy

Brad Tilley has confirmed that he will return to Touring Car Masters for the season finale at Mount Panorama, driving his familiar bright green Ford Falcon XY GTHO.

The Bathurst 1000 event TCM round will be the first time since 2018 that Tilley has raced in the category.

The 56-year-old will pit himself against his son Jamie, who is fourth in the 2021 standings aboard his Tilley Racing Ford Mustang.

Brad’s Falcon has been a mainstay of the series since its inception in 2007, winning 13 races including the first ever throughout its career.

Aboard the GTHO, Tilley has shone at Mount Panorama collecting three race wins along with a TCM round victory on the Mountain.

Tilley was looking forward to getting back behind the wheel in just a few weeks.

“I get a lot out of racing with Jamie, to compete as father and son is a big thing. We live together, work together and go racing together so it’s pretty special,” Tilley said.

“It’s the best experience of my life. I’ve raced a long time, in a lot of different categories and a lot of different stuff but to look across on the grid and see him there, it’s a buzz.

“And then I was just looking at the car sitting there not doing anything – I was keen to do something! It last raced at Newcastle so I wanted to get it out there… and it’s always gone pretty well at Bathurst.

“It’s still in its old specification and miles off where some of the cars are today, but we’ll see how it goes!”

Tilley also expressed his pride in the efforts of Jamie so far this year, who finished third in the opening race before battling Ryan Hansford for the lead in Race 2.

“To see him up there racing with a guy like Ryan, not a lot of people can do that,” Tilley said.

“He’s doing really well and has learned so much. We do so much racing with our customers – in non-Covid times we’re racing almost every weekend with Group S cars, Historic Touring Cars and more, so he’s always learning by driving them, helping set them up.

“That helps in TCM. He knows what he wants from the car. That experience has helped.

“Jamie is a very smooth driver and keeps the tyres on the car, which is important in TCM.”

Despite some time away from the series, Tilley said he was still excited about coming to the circuit.

“We keep our cars together at home, opening the garage door and seeing two TCM cars there, side-by-side, is a big deal for me.”

The final round of the Touring Car Masters Series will include four races across the Bathurst 1000 weekend, between November 30 – December 3.

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