Why LaDelle is missing AWC Race Tasmania

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: March 17, 2024

The AWC Race Tasmania TCR field has been limited to just 13 cars and one of absentees is newcomer Marcus LaDelle.

LaDelle is the man behind the newest team to the grid 99motorsport which made its debut at the Sandown season opener.

After being unable to find a driver, LaDelle was forced to make an unexpected debut in the #99 Audi RS3 LMS SEQ, finishing 12th and 13th between a DNF after clash with Glen Nirvana in race 2.

LaDelle admitted it has been hard to watch the SpeedSeries carry on at AWC Race Tasmania and explained that due to the team’s start in TCR not going completely to plan driver and sponsorship wise, he was unable to make the trip across Bass Strait.

“As everybody saw it was a relatively rushed run into Sandown and the original intention of this was to be a customer program so for me driving the car was a backup plan,” LaDelle told AUTO ACTION.

“Therefore finding sponsorship was also last minute.

“We have a number of long term sponsors but unfortunately another sponsor had come on and had a change in circumstances which was understandable.

“The damage costs from Sandown were significant and we were already tight on budget with me having to drive the car without a customer paying at the last minute.

“I am gutted not to be there and only watched a little bit because it did get to me that I was not there.”

Despite missing round 2, LaDelle said he remains committed to the category.

“I am really looking forward to returning,” he said.

We are still very committed to TCR and would love to bring another driver onboard with more sponsorship.

“It is a mainstream series and worldwide category that is extremely competitive.

“The driver, team and management groups are great. In the lead up to Tasmania I had other team owners reach out and ask if there is any way we can help you get to Tasmania.”

Due to the third round of the TCR Australia series at Phillip Island clashing with the Toyota 86 Scholarship Series opener at SMP, 99motorsport will also miss the April event due to fielding

Toby Dvorak, Ben Stewart and Max Geoghegan in the second tier Toyota series.

Due to the clash, LaDelle is targeting round 4 at The Bend as the comeback to TCR as he continues to chase a new driver and more support.

“Phillip Island was always going to be a challenge because of the clash with 86s in we had to have a whole lot of infrastructure in Phillip Island but also take three 86s to Sydney,” he said.

“If I had a customer in the car (Audi) we could have made it work but I need to be in Sydney mentoring our Toyota drivers.

“The goal moving forward will be back racing at The Bend which is contingent on having some funding land in our lap.”

The second TCR race at AWC Race Tasmania is about to begin.

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Why LaDelle is missing AWC Race Tasmania

“As everybody saw it was a relatively rushed run into Sandown and the original intention of this was to be a customer program so for me driving the car was a backup plan,” LaDelle told AUTO ACTION.

“I am gutted not to be there and only watched a little bit because it did get to me that I was not there.”

“The driver, team and management groups are great. In the lead up to Tasmania I had other team owners reach out and ask if there is any way we can help you get to Tasmania.”

“Phillip Island was always going to be a challenge because of the clash with 86s in we had to have a whole lot of infrastructure in Phillip Island but also take three 86s to Sydney,” he said.

There’s lots more loaded into a bumper edition of AUTO ACTION magazine, on sale at newsagents and available digitally here.

On the latest RevLimiter podcast … F1 was another snoozefest, but everywhere else the action was hot.

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