NEW ENTRIES AND ARTWORK FOR TCR AT PHILLIP ISLAND
The arrival of new drivers and liveries headlines the upcoming second TCR Australia Series round at Phillip Island.
TCR will run as part of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships event from March 18-20, HMO Customer Racing’s Josh Buchan entering the weekend as the standings leader ahead of maiden race winner and privateer Zac Soutar in his Spicers Australia-backed Civic Type R TCR.
Michael Clemente and Iain McDougall will return to the series as part of an expanded 21-car grid, both having raced in TCR previously.
Carl Cox Motorsport backed privateer Clemente will compete for the first time since May last year, entering at a happy hunting ground where he scored his best result of fifth in 2021.
McDougall debuted back at The Bend in 2019 and will end a two-season absence by running a Melbourne Performance Centre Audi RS3 LMS TCR featuring a livery inspired by the German manufacturer’s history at Le Mans.
“We are motorsport fans through and through and have been watching iconic race cars around the world for a number of years,” McDougall said.
“I’ve always loved the split designs along the lines of the original BAR Lucky Strike/555 Formula 1 zipper cars and I’ve wanted to race with a tribute livery for a while know so the opportunity to pay homage to a successful Audi with the split design was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
“The inspiration is the 2010 Le Mans winning R15 where the three Audi LMP1s clean swept the podium after being outmatched on one lap pace by the factory Peugeots in qualifying.
“It looks fast standing still so I can’t wait to see what it looks like on track.”
While he is not technically a debutant, Kody Garland will inject youth onto the race grid after crashing out of the first practice session and subsequently the round at Symmons Plains.
Garland’s confidence will hopefully be restored by a successful test recently at Phillip Island.
Another Audi will show off a new design at the Island, privateer Liam McAdam’s Forza Motorsport RS3 LMS TCR will be adorned by a bright orange wrap to ensure it stands out on the track.
In other category news, Fabian Coulthard has renewed his deal with Stan Sport to contest the second round, confirming a spot on the grid in his Wall Racing Honda Civic Type R TCR.
The Supercheap Auto TCR Australia field will contest three 16-lap races at Phillip Island this weekend, racing alongside the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship, GT World Challenge Australia and Trans Am Series.
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