Nine internationals to take on locals in global TCR tussle
The stage is set for the Aussies to take on the world with nine TCR World Tour drivers joining the locals in a historic Sydney event this weekend.
The Race Sydney event at Sydney Motorsport Park will not only be the penultimate round of the 2023 TCR Australia season, but also the first leg of the TCR World Tour’s trip down under.
The top nine drivers of the TCR World Tour are coming to Eastern Creek to form the largest field of TCR cars on Australian soil.
A total of 25 cars will go racing with 10 nationalities and six brands to be represented across the three-race weekend which commences under lights this Friday.
The field boasts two former FIA World Touring Car Champions, three FIA World Touring Car Cup winners, two TCR Australia champions and more than 150 wins in domestic and international TCR competition.
Just four points separate Norbert Michelisz and Yann Ehrlacher at the top of the TCR World Tour standings.
The Hungarian who heads the championship will be racing one of two global Hyundais alongside Mikel Azcona, while Frenchman Ehrlacher is just one of five Lynk and Co’s to be on the grid.
Ma Qing Hua, Santiago Urrutia, Thed Bjork, plus Ashley Seward Motorsport’s Tom Oliphant will also race the brand.
The experienced Audi Sport Comtoyou squad will field former World Touring Car Champion Rob Huff and Frederic Vervisch.
The Audi pair and Teddy Clairet are the only TCR World Tour drivers to have previously raced in Australia at Bathurst.
Teddy Clairet will not be in action at Sydney, with his brother Jimmy driving the Bargwanna Motorsport Peugeot, but the former will return to Mount Panorama.
The other Honda competitor is Argentinian Nestor Girolami. He and Azcona shared the wins in the most recent round in Argentina.
They are the internationals who will be looking to fend off the locals that are determined to show their skills against the top tier drivers.
Hyundai’s Bailey Sweeny will be looking to build his 30-point championship lead over teammate Josh Buchan, while GRM Peugeot’s Aaron Cameron is also in the hunt just a further eight points back.
The only local who has previous TCR World Tour experience is Ben Bargwanna, who raced at Spa and Portugal and performed well.
There will be plenty of attention on reigning champion Tony D’Alberto, who will debut a brand-new Honda Civic TCR at Sydney. Supercars star Will Brown will also be in action in his Audi.
Cars have begun to arrive in Australia this week, fresh from the most recent TCR World Tour round in South America.
They will arrive in their containers at Sydney Motorsport Park early this week ahead of on-track action commencing at Race Sydney on Friday afternoon.
With the finish line approaching in both the TCR Australia and World Tour seasons, there is a lot more than just bragging rights on the line.
Trans Am, Radical Cup Australia and Hyundai Excels will also be racing.
Friday’s running takes place between 17.00 and 21.30 AEDT, while Saturday’s action begins at 14.00 AEDT and finishes at 21.30 AEDT.
Race Sydney TCR entry list
| Car # | SPONSOR | DRIVER | STATE | VEHICLE | MODEL | CC | COLOUR |
| 1 | Honda Wall Racing | Tony D’Alberto | VIC | Honda | Civic FL5 TCR | 1998 | Red/White |
| 4 | Hangcha Forklifts | Jimmy Clairet | FRA | Peugeot | 308 TCR | 1800 | Blue/Red/White |
| 9 | MPC Team LIQUI MOLY | Will Brown | QLD | Audi | RS3 LMS TCR | 1984 | White/Blue/Red |
| 14 | Purple Sector | Lachlan Mineeff | NSW | Audi | RS3 LMS SEQ | 1998 | Orange |
| 15 | Carl Cox Motorspport | Michael Clemente | VIC | Cupra | Leon Competicion TCR | 1998 | Black/Red |
| 18 | Team Valvoline GRM | Aaron Cameron | VIC | Peugeot | 308 TCR | 1600 | Red |
| 22 | Challenge Motorsport | Iain McDougall | VIC | Audi | RS3 LMS SEQ | 1984 | Red/Silver |
| 30 | HMO Customer Racing | Josh Buchan | NSW | Hyundai | Elantra N Sedan | 1999 | Blue/Orange |
| 33 | Schaeffler GRM | Jordan Cox | NSW | Peugeot | 308 TCR | 1600 | Green/White |
| 41 | Valvoline Racing GRM | Kody Garland | NSW | Peugeot | 308 TCR | 1800 | Red |
| 71 | Burson Auto Parts Racing | Ben Bargwanna | VIC | Peugeot | 308 TCR | 1600 | Blue/Red/White |
| TBC | Exclusive Switchboards / Wall Racing | Will Harris | NSW | Honda | Civic FK7 TCR | 1998 | Aquamarine |
| 74 | Exclusive Switchboards / Wall Racing | Brad Harris | NSW | Honda | Civic FK7 TCR | 1998 | Aquamarine |
| 105 | BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Norbert Michelisz | HUN | Hyundai | Elantra N Sedan | 1999 | Blue/Red |
| 110 | Team Soutar Motorsport | Zac Soutar | VIC | Audi | RS3 LMS TCR | 1998 | Black/Yellow |
| 111 | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Thed Bjork | SWE | Lynk & Co | CO 03 FL TCR | 1750 | Blue |
| 112 | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Santiago Urrutia | URU | Lynk & Co | CO 03 FL TCR | 1750 | Blue |
| 115 | Autoglym / Ashley Seward Motorsport | Tom Oliphant | UK | Lynk & Co | CO 03 TCR | 1750 | White/Red/Green |
| 122 | Audi Sport Comtoyou | Frederic Vervisch | BEL | Audi | RS3 LMS TCR | 1984 | Blue/Silver |
| 129 | Honda Wall Racing | Nestor Girolami | ARG | Honda | Civic FL5 TCR | 1998 | Red/White |
| 130 | HMO Customer Racing | Bailey Sweeny | NSW | Hyundai | i30N TCR | 1999 | Blue/Orange |
| 155 | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Ma Qing Hua | CHN | Lynk & Co | CO 03 FL TCR | 1750 | Blue |
| 168 | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Yann Ehrlacher | FRA | Lynk & Co | CO 03 FL TCR | 1750 | Blue |
| 179 | Audi Sport Comtoyou | Rob Huff | GBR | Audi | RS3 LMS TCR | 1984 | Blue/Silver |
| 196 | BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Mikel Azcona | ESP | Hyundai | Elantra N Sedan | 1999 | Blue/Red |
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