TCR Australia 2023

[one five five]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

Thats great.

I thought the GT series would have been next after supercars

It’d be a sad day in Australian Motorsport if a series that actively limits professionalism in the category is the second best series in Australia. The whole thing is geared around the amateurs

[Umai Naa]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

Thats great.

I thought the GT series would have been next after supercars

GTs share billing with both TCR and Supercars.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

GTs share billing with both TCR and Supercars.

GTs work fine as a headline and a support act

[Buckshot]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

is this even watchable now?

Who watches it ?

Honestly, it's getting to be a struggle.

I piggyback onto a mates stan account and throw him the extra cash for the Sport option but with only 13 cars on the TCR Grid it's not looking good. The racing just isn't exciting, it's far too processional or spaced out, no-one's having a go.

I really want it to be good but it's just...meh.

[one five five]

What weights will the internationals run at for SMP and Bathurst?

[V8 Fireworks]

It looks like it will be an intra-team battle between the Hyundais for the driver's title! Sweeney and Buchan.

The BOP seems to be working well at keeping the older i30 hatch competitive with the newer Elantra N/i30 sedan.

[Tourer]

Mr Curkpatrick is outa there.

Seems likely to me that what ARG present in addition to TCR could be quite different next year.

[Mixer]

Yeah there is a... pattern there

[GTRMagic]

Last person out, please switch off the lights..

[Mixer]

The question I have is whether McMellan and co actually ended up ahead after they bought up everything, flogged it to Stan and then buggered off with the money.

I suspect they may not have but $20m goes a long way.

Competitors now left to pick up the pieces.

[Mixer]

So ARG has sold their 50% stake in Australian GT to SRO...

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/09/25...nership-group/

Does anybody else think that could place TCR on the block as ARG tries to stem the bleeding and that Lotti might just take it over?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Mixer

So ARG has sold their 50% stake in Australian GT to SRO...

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/09/25...nership-group/

Does anybody else think that could place TCR on the block as ARG tries to stem the bleeding and that Lotti might just take it over?

Who would buy it?
And all the chassis they own…

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Who would buy it?
And all the chassis they own…

Can't see anyone in their right mind looking to buy any of it but I CAN see Motorsport Australia trying to run it for the health of the sport overall.

No question in my mind that Covid really hurt ARG but the model was flawed to begin with and it's hard to see how any of it is recoverable now, unless a benevolent benefactor suddenly appears.

Certainly hope that TCM survives and may start to thrive again (although work is needed to reign in costs there) and this would be a good opportunity for the two TA2 Series in the country to combine.

So what would be left for Motorsport Australia to run? Maybe TCR but hard to see it standing on its own - maybe combine with another class; maybe TCM; maybe TA2 but they might all go and play with AASA where the other series runs; doubt S5000 will last much longer.

[one five five]

From my point of view ARG are just down-sizing and cutting off anything unrelated to GRM.

Given their work with Peugeot for the hybrid car I see ARG hanging on to category management there, same with Trans-Am, and those categories get run on the MA/SpeedSeries calendar.

Didn’t CAMS originally do the TCR rights deal with Lotti? ARG then leased the category management rights for a certain period of time?

Questions for me are:

What happens to TCM?
What interest does James Warburton still have in ARG?
Do MA or any other promoter want to run the Bathurst 6hr? (assuming ARG still wants to own the International….if not, does MA want to run it?)

[Umai Naa]

Originally Posted by one five five

From my point of view ARG are just down-sizing and cutting off anything unrelated to GRM.

Given their work with Peugeot for the hybrid car I see ARG hanging on to category management there.

These two points alone. I suspect a 'Speed Series' going forward, will consist of TCR, TA2, and S5000, coupled with local blow-in support catagories.

On another note, I'm yet to see any meaningful Cupra branding on the Clemente equip, to go with their "support".

[one five five]

Onto the next Bathurst (and SMP)

Are we assuming it’ll be a 23 or 24 car grid? (13-14 regulars plus 9/10 World Tour entries depending if the second Honda alongside Girolami comes)?

On that, is the new D’Alberto Honda just the second World Tour Honda?

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

On another note, I'm yet to see any meaningful Cupra branding on the Clemente equip, to go with their "support".

The biggest branding on there is “Carl Cox Motorsport” , I hope he stays keen to support them going forward.

[Umai Naa]

My understanding is that the new car is already in the country. However, I've yet to see anything from Wall Racing.

Although slotting him into a semi-works car for the remaining two rounds isn't out of the realm. Particularly if his gig is only a year-to-year thing, heavily reliant on secondary backers.

[Umai Naa]

And now ARG have just posted up an info night for EOIs on prospective entrants.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

And now ARG have just posted up an info night for EOIs on prospective entrants.

[Mixer]

Not specifically TCR related but how many times is it ok for majority owners of all these racing series to get caught cheating in one of said series?

[Umai Naa]

Pretty common in speedway for a relative of the promotor to be bending the rules to suit.

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

These two points alone. I suspect a 'Speed Series' going forward, will consist of TCR, TA2, and S5000, coupled with local blow-in support catagories.

On another note, I'm yet to see any meaningful Cupra branding on the Clemente equip, to go with their "support".

S5000 is kaput after Adelaide.
If you want a look at the non existent future of ARG meetings look at SMP in 3 weeks time where besides TCR and TransAm the total support program is Radicals and Excels.Most of the categories they don’t own but used to feature at their meetings are out of there.

[one five five]

What chance do any of the Aussies have against the World Tour regulars? The locals haven’t really troubled the regulars all season so far.

Will Brown will be a good benchmark if the Audi stays together.

Originally Posted by Alan52

S5000 is kaput after Adelaide.
If you want a look at the non existent future of ARG meetings look at SMP in 3 weeks time where besides TCR and TransAm the total support program is Radicals and Excels.Most of the categories they don’t own but used to feature at their meetings are out of there.

I’d have thought S5000 at worst is folded into Formula Open?

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by one five five

What chance do any of the Aussies have against the World Tour regulars? The locals haven’t really troubled the regulars all season so far.

The gun pilots of TCR don't seem to set the world in fire when they end up in other categories where it is easier to measure against known talents.

Originally Posted by one five five

I’d have thought S5000 at worst is folded into Formula Open?

Given that GRM owns half the cars, will people run them anywhere and will GRM still support them?

Feedback from pilots I have spoken to was not favourable about driving the cars, but there was a feeling the tyre was the main cause.

[Umai Naa]

The locals get belted any time the World Tour rolls into town.

I'm tipping TCR Australia to be rolled into SRO's recently acquired GT4 Australia rights. Can't see either of them being sustainable on their own, and they do run together in various championships across the globe.