TCR manager not concerned by reduced Tassie field
With only 13 cars making the trip across Bass Strait for AWC Race Tasmania this weekend, TCR Australia category management are hopeful of bigger fields later on.
The second round of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia season takes place at Symmons plains where Ben Bargwanna is the driver to beat.
Bargwanna heads the championship after a career-best weekend where he won two of the three races at Sandown with the other taken out by Jordan Cox.
A total of 15 cars took part in the Sandown season opener but only 13 will go racing in the Apple Isle.
This is because Marcus LaDelle’s 99motorsport and Iain McDougall’s Challenge Motorsport are both stepping aside for this round.
Last year 13 TCRs also entered the Race Tasmania event which kicked off the 2023 season but only 11 started as the Audis led by Will Brown suffered major mechanical dramas.
Despite the reduction of entries, TCR Australia category manager Lisa Totani is “confident” the field will at least return to the original total of 15 for round 3 at Phillip Island with Race Tasmania hoped to be the outlier.
“The nature of Symmons Plains Raceway always delivers exciting racing and the passion for TCR from the Tasmanian motorsport fans has been unwavering,” she said.
“Having an extremely competitive field, any of our 13 drivers are capable of winning this weekend.
“With strong TV figures from Sandown interest in TCR is steadily building and I wouldn’t be discouraged by grid numbers this weekend, but I’m confident of a return to at least 15 cars for Phillip Island.”
Main image by Daniel Kalisz Photographer
AWC Race Tasmania Supercheap Auto TCR Australia field
| Car # | Sponsor | Driver | Car |
| 1 | HMO Customer Racing | Josh Buchan | Hyundai i30N Hatch |
| 2 | Honda Wall Racing | Tony D’Alberto | Honda Civic Type R FL5 |
| 4 | Carl Cox Motorsport Team MPC | Clay Richards | Cupra Leon Competition |
| 11 | Ashley Seward Motorsport | Dylan O’Keeffe | Lynk & Co 03 |
| 15 | HMO Customer Racing | Tom Oliphant | Hyundai i30N Hatch |
| 18 | Team Valvoline GRM | Aaron Cameron | Peugeot 308 |
| 29 | Tufflift Racing | Glenn Nirwan | Audi RS3 |
| 33 | Schaeffler GRM | Jordan Cox | Peugeot 308 |
| 71 | Hangcha Racing | Ben Bargwanna | Peugeot 308 |
| 74 | Exclusive Switchboards / Wall Racing | Brad Harris | Honda Civic Type R FL5 |
| 76 | Exclusive Switchboards / Wall Racing | Will Harris | Honda Civic FK7 |
| 79 | Team Valvoline GRM | Ryan Casha | Peugeot 308 |
| 110 | Tufflift Racing | Zac Soutar | Audi RS3 LMS |
There’s lots more loaded into a bumper edition of AUTO ACTION magazine, on sale at newsagents and available digitally here.
For more of the latest motorsport news, subscribe to AUTO ACTION magazine.
On the latest RevLimiter podcast … F1 was another snoozefest, but everywhere else the action was hot.
Listen to our latest episode on your podcast app of choice or here
