SWEENY CHASING TCR TITLE

Bailey Sweeny is chasing the TCR Australia Series title after surprising everyone including himself with his results in the opening three rounds.

The HMO Customer Racing Hyundai driver scored his maiden race victory at Mount Panorama over the Bathurst 6 Hour weekend and has now stood on the steps three times in the hotly contested series.

After turning heads at Symmons Plains, the rising star well and truly marked himself as one to watch by finishing runner-up in the third round, complementing his Race 2 victory with a podium on Sunday.

A couple of blips and a DNF mean that Sweeny is still 73 points off the lead in 11th, but the man himself is confident that his form stacks up with the best in the business.

“Expectations have definitely changed to the start of the year and if luck goes our way we’ll be going for the title,” Sweeny told AUTO ACTION.

“The DNF in the first round hurt us, I should be higher in the standings.”

They may be bold words for a rookie, but its hard to deny that Sweeny showed himself to be right at home against big name rivals over the weekend.

His confidence to make crucial overtakes was bolstered by knowledge of the Bathurst circuit and trust in his Hyundai i30 N TCR machine, which he couldn’t have been happier with.

“I was actually expecting some of the GRM cars to have more pace than us, so I was trying to get in front and go but turns out we had a bit of pace,” Sweeny explained.

“It was there all weekend. Even in Race 1 and quali, I feel I could have done a bit more with the splitter issue and getting stuck in traffic. I was actually blown away by the pace myself to be honest.

“I think I’ve come a long way as a driver over the few rounds but the car just wasn’t really there at Phillip Island. To finally have the car underneath me and be confident with the track, everything came together.

The next round is at Sydney Motorsport Park from May 27-29, a track that Sweeny is familiar with from his time in the Toyota 86 Series.

Confident in his experience at the circuit and the speed of the Hyundai package, the teenager sees no reason why he can’t make further inroads next month.

“SMP has been a happy hunting ground for me,” Sweeny said.

“The Hyundai was a strong car there last year and I think the Hyundai’s are more competitive overall this year.

“Looking forward to getting back there, I’ve also got a test before so we should be looking strong heading to into the round.”

To read more about Bailey Sweeny’s journey to become a TCR race winner, his season so far and his future ambitions, grab the next edition of AUTO ACTION on sale May 5.