TCR team welcomes global driver for expanded 2024 campaign
Team Soutar Motorsport will double in size to two cars for the 2024 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series season with an international racer coming on board.
Joining returning regular Zac Soutar will be Indonesian Glenn Nirwan in the team’s second Gen 2 Audi RS3 LMS TCR touring car that was previously raced by Will Brown.
Nirwan might be a new face to Australian, but the former rally driver has already come into circuit racing with runs on the board.
Glenn Nirwan celebrating a win in Indonesia. Image: Anggi Pratama BRM Motorsport
He made his car racing debut at the start of 2023 and dominated the Indonesian ITCR 3600 Max National championship.
Nirwan went on a winning streak in the Indonesian based series, claiming all seven rounds of the Euro Touring Car Championship in the Indonesian Sentul Series of Motorsport at Sentul.
Considering he drove an Audi RS3 LMS TCR Car, he will be no stranger to the car come Sandown.
Nirwan described the drive as a dream come true.
“Driving in Australia has been my dream. I was surprised and honoured when Team Soutar Motorsport approached me at the end of last season to join forces,” he said.
“There is no target for this year, its more to get my feet wet. All the circuits here are new to me, so nothing too crazy.
Glenn Nirwan in his new Soutar Racing colours. Image: Daniel Kalisz Photographer
“Will just keep my head straight, adapt as fast as I can, learn from my teammate because I’m very lucky to have a very experienced driver in Zac as my teammate.
“I used to live in Brisbane for 12 years, so this feels like coming back home to be honest.”
It will also be a step up for Soutar, who has been racing TCRs since 2021.
In his debut season he came home 16th in the championship with three top 10 finishes at Phillip Island and Bathurst.
The 2022 campaign was a breakout one as he took a breakthrough privateer win in the Symmons Plains opener.
Further podiums at Ipswich and Sandown cemented sixth in the championship.
He finished 10th in last year’s championship despite a tough start to the season where he could not finish the first four races.
Soutar bounced back with three podiums in four races in Winton and Queensland Raceway, while he was also second of the Australians in the final sprint at Bathurst.
Soutar is looking forward to the opportunities that being part of an expanded two-car team will bring.
“I’m hugely excited to also welcome Glenn Nirwan to the Tufflift Racing family,” said Soutar.
“It’s an absolute dream come true to be a part of a two-car team, and I can’t wait to get to Sandown and see two identical Tufflift Racing Audi’s lining up on the grid. It will definitely be a surreal moment for everyone involved.
“Glenn is definitely a very capable driver with a great motorsport history back home in Indonesia. I’m sure that we’re going to have a very successful year together whilst having a lot of fun.
“Let’s get after it.”
Image: Daniel Kalisz Photographer
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