TCR Australia 2024

[bathurst77]

Supertourers never "stuck on" with australian fans as at the time ELs and VR V8s were still the petrol heads choice, the then newish 5litre v8 ford vs holden formula harked back to the 60s 70s and early 80s tradition and they had the names, brock johnson bowe perkins lowndes larkham seton etc.
the race cars looked like the real thing but sounded and looked fantastic and spectacular Aussie oi oi oi

Meanwhile the STs were mostly bmw and audis etc, and the drivers were (mostly) unknowns locally or B level stars. THey were cars most aussie tin top fans didnt care about, they didnt sound like a snarling firebelching v8, and they didnt have the stars. It got the reputation and chardoney sippers racing. but chardoney aand latte sippers dont go to car races or bathurst en masse.

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by Tourer

Could be - it's always easier to be bullish when you're risking someone else's money.

And to complete the circle that’s a perfect description of ARG funded by Mr PAYCE.

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by Alan52

And to complete the circle that’s a perfect description of ARG funded by Mr PAYCE.

Yep - all the money being thrown around and grand statements have amounted to less than a hill of beans. Mr Boyd's good intent was let down by the actions and statements of some key staff, showing again that the best way to make a small fortune out of motor sport is to start with a large one.

[V8 Fireworks]

Thoughts:
- Oliphant seems to think he is the BTCC, not an amateur TCR series without BTCC levels of repair budgets!
- The series has a new Indonesian backmarker in the form of Mr. Nirwan.

Good action from a thin 15 car grid. If only the commercial package was better.

Originally Posted by bathurst77

but chardoney aand latte sippers dont go to car races or bathurst en masse.

Not en masse but there are certainly events for these people: the 12 hour, Adelaide Motorsport Festival, Australian Formula One Grand Prix, hill climbing.

Some people like to be away from (in the extreme case) the "Summernats" crowd (found at the top of the hill at the AVESCO 1000km race? compared to serenity, champagne and lattes at the top of the hill of the Super Touring 1000km and SpeedSeries Bathurst event?).

Originally Posted by bathurst77

THey were cars most aussie tin top fans didnt care about

Good for them... A lack of interest in the BMW M3 and 320i, doesn't make the move to exclude the BMW 540i that DID fit the Group 3A ruleset and precipitate the BMW-led breakaway series and exclusion of 2000cc class from 1996 1000km race was acceptable.

Winding back the progress of the age of turbocharging and the 1980's is just not on. At least, not unless it is replaced by wailing naturally aspirated V6s and inline-fives like in Super Touring.

It's a broad brush to assume fans did not prefer the screaming 635 csis, snarling Ford Sierra Cosworths and wailing Skyline HR31s...

After all, just as the VN Commodore Group A's English equivalent found itself fitted with a turbocharged inline-six in the form of the Vauxhall Lotus Carlton so to this very day do some "Aussie car diehards" prefer their Barra turbos... So even saying that Falcon and Commodore enthusiasts prefer V8s is an overly broad brush.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

Thoughts:
- Oliphant seems to think he is the BTCC, not an amateur TCR series without BTCC levels of repair budgets!
- The series has a new Indonesian backmarker in the form of Mr. Nirwan.

Good action from a thin 15 car grid. If only the commercial package was better.

Hopefully today was a good start to improving the commercial package. Broadcast didn’t seem too bad. Who is this Sarah Burt though? Presenting wise she was ok but seemed a bit surprised by what she was talking about sometimes…

Olyphant got flogged by his teammate and beaten by his old car.

But his old car with a gun driver in it was only just infront of him

So was the Lynk the problem, or Tom Olyphant?

[Umai Naa]

Bit of both.

The car isn't the latest spec.

The pilot, despite two race wins in BTCC, was a midpack runner at best. But the father-in-law seems happy to throw money at him.

[Umai Naa]

Hearing the general vibe in the TCR paddock is up on recent years. Entrants seemingly happy with Ms Totani in charge.

Still a concern that there's as many cars in sheds as there are on track.

3x Renaults
4x Alfas
1x Peugeot
2x Audis
2x Golfs
1x Honda
4x Hyundais

Racing is a bit ho-hum. Two blokes streaking away, 3rd place a few seconds back, followed by the balance of the top 10, then the rest somewhat off the pace.

Not sure what's needed there, besides maybe encouraging teams to find more money to improve car prep, therefore speed and reliability.

Mr Richards Jr Jr definitely belongs in the series. Had the Cupra working quite well.

[Mixer]

Never gonna see the Renaults again, you would think they would just sell them OS but GRM clearly don't need the money.

[Umai Naa]

I suspect Vuckovic have ceased buying them back.

[GTRMagic]

[Mixer]

It really was too good to be true. The world is in a tough place economically.

[GTRMagic]

[Umai Naa]

They need to get back to simple meat & potaoes racing.

No marquee events. No gimmicks. Just put on a show, and do it well.

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

I’d bet Greg Rust those were the last.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by Alan52

I’d bet Greg Rust those were the last.

Didn’t you also say the 12hr was dead after the 2021 non-running?

[GTRMagic]

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by one five five

Didn’t you also say the 12hr was dead after the 2021 non-running?

Probably.Not claiming infallibility.
Here though the World Tour was funded by NSW government on a contract signed by the previous government.If anyone from government or Events NSW went to either race and saw a crowd numbered in the hundreds they would realise no value.
Lot more likely reason than shipping issues 9 months out.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by Alan52

Lot more likely reason than shipping issues 9 months out.

I don’t disagree with a lot that you wrote

The shipping reason is legitimate though in that Macau is so close to Bathurst that it requires a completely seperate set of cars and equipment to be shipped to Macau seperate from the cars and equipment used at Bathurst.

For instance Lynk & CO’s four cars and equipment from Bathurst last year got shipped straight home to Sweden, they had a completely seperate set of cars and gear waiting for them in Macau. Same went for the Hyundai’s, Audi’s and Girolami Honda.

I’d say it’s the teams that told WSC we can’t do this again.

The shipping issue is real too in terms of delays, it hampered 5 cars in terms of the 12hr (and cost three entries)

[GTRMagic]

[Mixer]

13 cars "but we promise there will be more next round"

[one five five]

Originally Posted by Mixer

13 cars "but we promise there will be more next round"

Not good but at least no worse than last year, and it’s the two slowest cars that haven’t showed up…..

Tassie has never had a habit of attracting extra entries

[chavez]

Originally Posted by Mixer

13 cars "but we promise there will be more next round"

Not quite Super 3 levels (2 cars for their first round), but need to do better.

[GTRMagic]

Do the people who participate in TCR actually want it to fail?

GRM protesting a result which was meaningless to the whole field bar one is nutso
The powers that be gridding the 3rd race of the event on the back of the reverse grid race, which ran on a grid set by the cancelled race is plain stupid.

Being surprised that a driver and team who brings his own sponsor, manufacturer support and car ownership to the grid, and was the one most disadvantaged by the race cancellation… and pulls in on the formation lap with a healthy car… should not have been a shock!

R3 was nuts.. only because just about every car in the field was out of position, and crashing into everyone else seemed to be not only approved, but actively encouraged.

The series was definitely found wanting in leadership today.

Tony D’Alberto stood his ground, said principles trump anything else and stood down.
Stories go he may not be at the next round, in disgust.

Nice going GRM.

[Vassago]

Drama in TCR Australia at Symmons Plains as Tony D'Alberto pulled into the pits ahead of Race 3 after Race 1 points - which he won - were voided.

Race 1 was red-flagged after Ryan Casha's crash in the hairpin and restarted with the dreaded time certain rule that meant it only lasted 10 of the scheduled 30 laps. Since Race 3 grid is decided by combined R1+R2 points D'Alberto was twice affected in a negative way.


https://speedcafe.com/dalberto-sits-...le-in-protest/

[chavez]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Do the people who participate in TCR actually want it to fail?

GRM protesting a result which was meaningless to the whole field bar one is nutso
The powers that be gridding the 3rd race of the event on the back of the reverse grid race, which ran on a grid set by the cancelled race is plain stupid.

Being surprised that a driver and team who brings his own sponsor, manufacturer support and car ownership to the grid, and was the one most disadvantaged by the race cancellation… and pulls in on the formation lap with a healthy car… should not have been a shock!

R3 was nuts.. only because just about every car in the field was out of position, and crashing into everyone else seemed to be not only approved, but actively encouraged.

The series was definitely found wanting in leadership today.

Tony D’Alberto stood his ground, said principles trump anything else and stood down.
Stories go he may not be at the next round, in disgust.

Nice going GRM.

The third race was excellent. Certainly, the best tin top race this year, although Supercars have a chance to top that next weekend.

A pity Tony took the low road and decided not to race.

A mature handling of the situation would have been to get out on track and win.

It is worth recalling that had the first race not been red flagged, Tony would have been penalised for jumping the start.

Sometimes things fall your way (ie the red flag) and sometimes they don't............clearly a life lesson lost on Tony.