2024 TCR Australia Season Chat

[TheArrow]

Bit disappointed that there are only 7 rounds.

I would love to see that double and an enduro added.

They can barely get 15 cars now, can't imagine them getting 14 rounds a year with that lack of demand.

As much as I would want it too, I can't see it happening any time soon. Tbh, I can see the series folding and disappearing into the history books before I can see it getting to 14 rounds. It was supposed to be the next big thing. I know COVID really scuppered a lot of the progress, especially occurring so early in the series life. But the grid is getting smaller and smaller each year.

And the "quality over quantity" line they keep pulling is only valid when there actually is a depth of quality in the field. 5 or 6 good drivers in a field of 15 is not quality over quantity.

[mikeamerica84]

Tip us off as to what kind of hat you might be wearing, or something if the sort.

it will likely be a blue bucket hat. the dreads will stand out, getting pretty long now! think we all have to wear pink series vests too so we will all stand out if we get anywhere near a tv camera!

Were you down inside Turn 4 for the first Trans-Am race, Sonic?

[mikeamerica84]

.... or were you at the finish line for the third TCR race?

[Sonic]

nope and nope. I saw the TA2 incident (I was at t1 for that one) and I have a pic of it through the horse railing but it is a long way off and not really worth anything other than to show I was there.

hopefully I'll have all my pics up tomorrow

[mikeamerica84]

nope and nope.

I was going by the blue bucket hat I zeroed in on.  Must have been some other good looking photographer bloke, eh?   

[Sonic]

nope and nope.

I was going by the blue bucket hat I zeroed in on.  Must have been some other good looking photographer bloke, eh?   

They can dream LOL!!

[mikeamerica84]

Looks like only 13 cars for Tassie.

[stevo qld]

There must be well over 20, possibly 30, TCR cars in Australia. MPC has a bunch of Audis available.

However, TCR is generally a sponsor driven class with car run by commercial enterprises. Effectively it consists of pay drivers and sponsors that seem wary of supporting it. Poor broadcast availability to the public last year could be leading to decisions that is poor value.

(ditto for S5000).

[stevo qld]

Tony d'Alberto, dropped out of the main TCR race over the weekend.

Because he didn't agree with a Stewards decision, he spat his dummy and chucked his toys out of the pram.

He made claims, on TV, about unprofessional conduct.

Well, it is Tony who was unprofessional.

Honda pay a lot of money in sponsorship and access to the latest version of their TCR.

Wall Racing owner and staff put a lot of effort into preparing the car which is a proven winner.

Without agreement from them he made a selfish decision that they did not agree with and chucked away championship points and possibly a race win.


Now, it is not up to me, but I believe that Honda would be within their rights to tear up his contact, if Tony hasn't already done so.

Similarly Wall Racing, with Honda support, if possible, should replace Tony with a dr4iver who actually wants to race.

IMHO, Clay Richards, who already has points and is running event by event subject to finding finance, would be an ideal replacement and he already has a bag of championship points.

[mikeamerica84]

I'll take the low road on this one, Steve. 

They run Race 1.  There were three grass fires and a huge shunt on the stretch leading into the hairpin which made it a time-limit race.  Only 1/3 of the distance.

Race 2:  The grid is set from the finish of Race 1 with the Top Ten inverted.  Tony starts 10th.

As we get to Race 3, we find out no points were awarded for Race 1 for it only went 1/3 the distance.  Yet the FIELD was set for Race 2 based on these finishing results.  So now in Race 3 we had cars who basically got a free pass in Race 2 due to the inversion now starting way up the order even though Race 1 didn't count for jack.

The TCR website is mum on all of this.  A total jack job of professionalism by the series.  You mean to tell me they could not have reached this conclusion overnight PRIOR to Race 2? 

Not until someone protested.  I see the Bargwannas here somewhere.

You know, I like this series but besides their car counts dwindling, this doesn't help anything.  Good for Tony.  Walk away.  Do Trans-Am.

[mikeamerica84]

...and the irony of Race 3, Steve, is that Tony probably would have scored decent points.  The race in itself was top shelf as many came from the back to the front back to the back and back to the front again and off track and pieces missing....

But yeah.  It's Tony's call.  I tip my cap to him for his stance.  He has the next move.

[mikeamerica84]

14 cars on tap for PI.  The results & points (if any) from Race 1 at Symmons Plains are still not official as of three days ago.

************

Provisionally, Zac Soutar (Tufflift Racing) leads the points standings by just a single point over both Ben Bargwanna and Jordan Cox (Schaeffler GRM) after a dramatic opening two rounds of the season. At Sandown, Hangcha Racing's Bargwanna dominated to claim his first round victory.

Symmons Plains, the results of which are still to be finalised by the verdict of a Motorsport Australia hearing, saw the second first-time round winner in as many rounds with Tom Oliphant coming out on top for HMO Customer Racing.

https://tcraustralia.com/2024/04/10/seven-manufacturers-set-for-tcr-battle-at-phillip-island/

[mikeamerica84]

Tassie Race 1:  Race only went 1/3 of the distance so no point s awarded yet field for Race 2 set by Race 1 results.

PI:  All races now timed races - not laps. 

[mikeamerica84]

The timed races continue at The Bend.  I like to call that "The D'Alberto Rule".

14 cars this round.  On a different note, there were only 20 cars for the last BTCC race at Thruxton.  A shortage abroad these days.

[stevo qld]

TCR managed to field only 12 cars with one third of the field Rogers entries.

Can this series seriously survive?

Maybe owners must be thinking of selling cars while there are still overseas buyers or returning leased cars.

I also note that Honda is ending sponsorship at the end of the year and some of the cars represent Companies that have low road car sales in Australia.

https://www.v8sleuth.com.au/sideways-lap-nets-pole-for-reigning-champ/

It has got to the point where TCR series success does not help drivers CVs and potential drivers are looking at spending their sponsorship dollars in another series.