PRIVATEER TCR SQUAD EXPANDS, FRESH LIVERY FOR ANOTHER

TCR Australia squad Purple Sector will expand to a second Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, while a fellow Privateer Zac Soutar will sport a fresh new livery at Bathurst.

Former Australian Formula 3 racer Keegan Brain will join the TCR Australia Series field for the TCR Bathurst 400, driving a Purple Sector Volkswagen.

In a one-event deal, Brain will drive the Volkswagen raced by Chelsea Angelo at selected rounds this season in a lease deal coordinated between Purple Sector and Melbourne Performance Centre.

It represents an expansion for the team, having previously run the single entry of Lachlan Mineeff.

Brain has competed in the 2015 Australian Formula 3 Championship, earning two podium finishes at Queensland Raceway.

Returning to race in TCR, Brain said the series was appealing on multiple fronts.

“I think it’s a really good series,” Brain said.

“I think it’s getting a lot of traction at the moment, it’s the big-name category for Australian Racing Group and it’s something that I can go race overseas as well in the same if not similar cars.

“Front-wheel-drive is not a foreign concept to me as I do a lot of track work in hot hatches.

“The TCR has more power, more tyre and more brake, but in terms of characteristics in how the car drives off the corner and rotates, it’s not much different.”

Brain had an opportunity to test the TCR machine out at Phillip Island yesterday, under the watchful eye of his McLaren GT factory driver coach Harry Hayek, who will fulfil the role of data engineer at Bathurst.

To debut in TCR is one thing, but for it be at Mount Panorama made the occasion all the more significant according to Brain.

“For me growing up, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do and for it to be a 1000 week, it’s huge,” Brain said.

“I’m really looking forward to Bathurst now and I now have confidence in the car now.

“I really got it moving about just to get a hold of it because it’s a unique car.

“Acclimatising to it was key and thanks to Harry we managed to throw more corner speed at it where we started hitting the limits of the car to find what feels best.”

While this may be a one-off event for Brain, the Lithgow native has his sights set on a possible full-time entry in partnership with Purple Sector next year.

“We’re going to see how we go at Bathurst and then we’ll form a game plan from there into 2022,” Brain summarised.

Purple Sector made its TCR Australia debut at Phillip Island, Mineeff securing a top 10 finish in his first race.

The team is currently weighing up the possibility of a second entry in 2022.

“To be running the only two Volkswagens in the country at the moment is a great opportunity,” Mineeff said.

“We want to see how we go on a team and personnel level as it’s something we’d like to pursue in the future.”

New livery for Zac Soutar – Image: Supplied

Meanwhile Soutar will sport a fresh new livery ahead of the category’s longest ever races at the TCR Bathurst 400.

The family-run Team Soutar Motorsport Honda Civic Type R will feature primary support from commercial print paper product company Spicers, which aligns closely with the Soutars printing business away from the track.

Soutar welcomed the support of Spicers ahead of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia finale at the Mountain.

“I’m really excited to have Spicers onboard for the TCR Bathurst 400,” said Soutar.

“Being a printer by trade, I use Spicers paper products every day of my working life, so it’s fantastic to have a bit of a cross over into my racing life and see the logo on the side of the car for the first time.

“We’ve wrapped the car using the 3M vinyl products that Spicers distributes as well. It has come up an absolute treat, and I can’t wait to get it out onto the Mountain next week.”

The TCR 400 will comprise of three 21-lap races held throughout the six-day Bathurst 1000 event next week.

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