Cameron ready to race new Peugeot

After the Peugeot P51 308 TCR made its debut at Sydney, the full four-car GRM fleet will be racing the new machine at Bathurst this weekend.

After Jordan Cox and Ben Bargwanna drove the Australian designed and built TCR car’s first racing laps at Sydney Motorsport Park, teammates Aaron Cameron and Ryan Casha will also get their opportunity at Mount Panorama this weekend.

Cox memorably drove the P51 to a debut win in the reverse grid race 2 at Sydney.

Cameron and rookie Casha will get a chance to acclimatise with the new generation of Peugeot at a shakedown in Winton on Wednesday before the Bathurst International begins on Friday.

Longtime GRM leader and six-time TCR winner Cameron has already had a small taste of the car, but is eager to finally race it after seeing his teammates have a crack.

“Bathurst will be really exciting because we have the new Peugeot TCR car,” he told AUTO ACTION.

Jordan Cox’s new generation Peugeot alongside the old driven by Aaron Cameron at SMP.

“It has been cool seeing it play out in the background and to actually get to race one in the final round is pretty exciting.

“I have done 20-30 laps in Winton and gave my feedback about where it was all at.

“It was just cool to drive something that is same, same, but different. It was very different to the old car.

“Ryan and I will have a half day in the car at Winton, which will be massive because I have not driven the final version of the car.”

For the first time in his career, Cameron enters the Mount Panorama finale without a TCR race win.

Having collected six podiums in his first two TCR seasons, three wins in 2022 and 10 podiums last year, 2024 has been an uncharacteristically bare season of trophies for the 24-year-old.

Cameron sits ninth in the championship with just three podiums.

As a result, he is desperate to end the year on a high in the new car.

“For us we have not had the best season in TCR, so it is all about having a good crack at the last three races,” Cameron said.

“We have had a really rough year and been conserving tyres, but have some good ones at Bathurst and hopefully we can get some more podiums.

“Sydney was another weekend where we just had unfulfilled potential. Our race pace coming from last to third was legit and we were really quick.

“Even in the reverse grid we came from 12th to second.

“I love TCR, but it has been a tough year with little things not going our way that have impacted the results.”

Blake Knowles will take on TCR for the first time, Image: Supplied

There will be a new face on the grid in the form of New Zealand Formula Ford Champion Blake Knowles.

Knowles will make his TCR debut at 99motorsport and hopes to impress as one of the younger drivers in the field at just 18.

“I’ve absolutely always followed along with TCR Australia and it’s something that’s always been on my radar,” said Knowles.

“Some of those drivers in the TCR field are insanely quick, so I’m just going to give it the best crack I can and hopefully we can be fighting within the pack.

“The goal is to try and do a championship in Australia eventually, and TCR is one we’ve always watched so that would be the dream if we could make 2025 happen.”

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