D’Alberto hangs on to TCR championship in thrilling finale

Tony D’Alberto has been crowned as the 2022 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series champion, but only just after thrilling finale at Bathurst.

After inclement weather forced the abandonment of race 2 this morning, D’Alberto just had to finish 12th or better to win his first TCR championship and P11 was enough to cling on by two points after Audi rival Will Brown won the race on the final lap.

Despite Brown’s gutsy win, D’Alberto consistency paid off to score his first championship crown since winning the Super2 Series back in 2007 and become the third TCR Australia champion in as many year.

“I am speechless, we worked so hard and this weekend was ultra tough,” he said.

“We had our hands tied with the car here this weekend and the boys just kept trying to pump him up right until the end.

“I did not know we had won until we stopped in Parc Ferme because I saw Will grabbing the lead and I though ‘oh my god, how have we got to this’.

“It has been a big journey for myself, Honda and Wall Racing, I had to convince Honda to get involved back in 2019 and I am just so proud and thankful we have delivered a championship for them.”

Tony D’Alberto savours his tense championship success with his Wall Racing team. Image: Daniel Kalisz

D’Alberto had to endure a nerve-racking race to the flag as he was on the edge of dropping out of the all important top 12, while Brown was a man on a mission at the front.

The Audi driver gave it everything he had and secured the win on the final lap after capitalising on a mistake from Bailey Sweeny at Griffins Bend.

After climbing from sixth to first with some thrilling moves, Brown have it everything he had and was full of praise for D’Alberto despite falling just short.

“Bitter sweet day, but first of all I want to say congrats to Tony, he did an awesome job all year and really deserved it,” he said in victory lane.

“I did not know if I was happy or not when I crossed the line because that was all I had to do, but that is racing.

“It was awesome racing with Bailey and Aaron Cameron. I thought I was going to put her in through The Chase for a second.

“It was win or bin that race.”

Will Brown had a mountain to climb, but fell just short despite making some stunning moves to win the final TCR race of 2022. Image: Daniel Kalisz

The drama of an unforgettable season finale started straight away with Coleman Sweeny and Dylan O’Keeffe going up Mountain Straight side by side.

O’Keeffe thought he got the job done taking the inside line for Griffins Bend, but went in too deep and careered into the tyre barrier., 

After the Peugeot dramatically crashed out from the lead, Aaron Cameron took the lead under mirky skies.

However, both Cameron and Nathan Morcom made contact fighting for the lead at The Chase which forced them to manage damage to the left rear and right front respectively.

Morcom then lost two positions in as many corners as Brown made his charge to the front and completed it with a spectacular move at the Chase.

The #999 climbed over the inside kerb at the ultra-fast right-handed kink and somehow managed to get his car pulled up in the braking area to make it stick.

Tony D’Alberto had a nervous fight in the mid pack to secure the 2022 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series title. Image: Jack Martin Photography

The brave move suddenly broke the championship wide open as D’Alberto dropped to as low as 14th as he battled in the busy mid pack.

But fortune favoured the Wall Racing driver as rival Jordan Cox was ruled out with significant right-front damage and Zac Soulter speared off at Skyline.

The safety car was also brought out on lap 11 when Ben Bargwanna was found stationary in the left-right run up to Forrests Elbow.

After the restart Sweeny threatened to make a move on Brown at The Chase and the Erebus Motorsport Supercars star outbraked himself and ran wide to allow Sweeny to swoop into the lead.

Just when it looked like the race was gone, Sweeny slipped up at Griffins Bend on the final lap to give Brown the win and reopen his championship chance.

But D’Alberto kept his nose clean and did enough to take home the TCR Australia title in unforgettable fashion.

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