Buchan shines as Michelisz steals TCR opener
The first FIA TCR World Tour race at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park was a thriller snared by Norbert Michelisz as Australia’s Josh Buchan impressed.
Although Mikel Azcona led all 13 laps from pole position, a 5s penalty for a jump start proved extremely costly.
He did his best to pull a big enough gap, but ultimately fell a heartbreaking 0.0024s short.
Yann Ehrlacher rounded out the podium in the Lynk & Co to complete a World Tour podium.
Waving the Aussie flag with pride was Buchan as he held his own against the World Tour stars by finishing a strong fourth.
The next best local was rookie Cody Burcher in the Ash Seward Motorsport Lynk & Co in ninth.
Azcona enjoyed a strong start from pole to bolt more than a second clear on the opening lap alone as Jordan Cox got crossed up following a wild slide through Turn 2.
Winning a tight fight for second was Michelisz in the Hyundai ahead of Lynk & Cos Ehrlacher and Bjork, while Australia’s Buchan rounded out the top five.
But Buchan made a statement by snaring fourth on the second lap with a late-braking move at Turn 1.
Meanwhile, Urrutia bogged it down from the fourth row and drifted to the back of the field.
At the end of Lap 3 the battle for best of the rest in TCR Australia became close as Burcher and Harris were at close quarters picking off the battling Lo.
The World Tour Hyundai driver ended up falling from 11th to 16th as he went off at Turn 8 after he was passed by the Australians.
The race then settled down with Azonca continuing to build his lead, but a curveball quickly arrived.
Leader Azcona, Comte, Urrutia and Harris all received 5s penalties for jumped starts.
With his advantage 3.8s Azcona needed to find another 1.2s across the second half of the race.
His response was to push the gap beyond 4s, only for Michelisz to halve it by Lap 8.
The fascinating push-pull carried on until the end of the race between the Hyundai teammates.
At the start of the penultimate lap, Azcona had got it back out to 3.8s, and things went down to the wire as he then found a further second.
He needed to find just three tenths on the final lap and fell heartbreakingly short.
As he came out of the final turn, it finally ticked over 5s, only for Michelisz to reel it in by 0.0024s.
Buchan had Montenegro putting on the pressure until the very end but held onto a strong fourth, having saved some personal best laps for the finish.
The deciding TCR World Tour race is at 11.55 ACST Sunday.
Image: Peter Norton Epic Sports Photography
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