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Tilley Valiant pacing back to TCM

Tilley Adelaide

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: February 19, 2024

Having racked up a special milestone in a personal-best campaign last year, Cameron Tilley is determined to keep building momentum in Touring Car Masters.

At the second round of the 2023 season in Newcastle, Tilley’s fan-favourite Valiant Pacer became just the fourth car in category history to raise the double century of race starts.

He kept the good times rolling with a consistent campaign highlighted by three podiums throughout the year to secure his best ever championship finish of third.

With the podiums taking place in the last two rounds at Bathurst and Adelaide, Tilley enters 2024 in strong form.

Both driver and his popular Valiant will be back in 2024 and he is determined to let the good times roll.

“After the season I had last year which was my best to date I am looking forward to seeing what we can do,” Tilley told AUTO ACTION.

The Pacer started life powered by a V6 engine but in recent seasons Tilley made the switch to the bigger and more powerful V8.

Despite the change initially making him become aware how competitive his straight six was, he is starting to come to grips with the new engine.

“There was not that much difference in the weight but it has waken me up to how competitive the six cylinder really was,” he said.

“The power band is very different. The  thing had throttle response from 2000rpm so it is very different to drive because in the V8 it has a narrower power range.

“If you are under 4000rpm in the v8 they are not really doing a lot (but) the V8 now with the alloy heads is good. You cannot substitute the cubic inches as everyone says.

“Most of our speed last year came from me working hard to develop and improve the suspension.

“Just trying to get my head around that because there was a lot of change getting power to the ground with the V8.”

The 2024 Touring Car Masters season begins at Bathurst this weekend.

Image: RACE PROJECT

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