2019 TCR Australia Silly Season

[GTRMagic]

Presumably the factory-Ford-backed Tickford Racing organisation doesn’t mind its favourite pilot driving a Hyundai TCR...

[Mixer]

People clearly are left with the perception that if Hyundai is in the team name, that they are paying the bills. Quite the opposite is really true.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[Umai Naa]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Presumably the factory-Ford-backed Tickford Racing organisation doesn’t mind its favourite pilot driving a Hyundai TCR...

Mr Mostert has a pre-existing relationship with the car's owner.

[Mixer]

If you get a couple of big name drivers in, you'd guarantee some eyeballs.

Wonder if they will livestream on YouTube, or if they have the money to, that would guarantee an audience - and punters at least seem to like the look of the cars.

I guess there's a generation younger than me that grew up hotting up cars that were not Holdens and Fords, maybe they can catch that wave if they can get them to put their phone down...

[GTRMagic]

Why does it feel like SuperTouring all over again?

[Umai Naa]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Why does it feel like SuperTouring all over again?

A series propped up by benefactors, and the promotors owning half the grid?

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Why does it feel like SuperTouring all over again?

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

A series propped up by benefactors, and the promotors owning half the grid?

_Hopefully_ the difference is there isn't allowed an arms race that renders competition null and void unless you have the latest toy.

[Umai Naa]

Thankfully, their BOP covers all homologated cars.

So even the old FK2 Civic can still be competitive.

[Mixer]

Tell that to the Golf drivers....

[V8 Fireworks]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Why does it feel like SuperTouring all over again?

Super touring in England was the best, if it could be half that great it would be superb! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gc4YFeD2PM

Super Touring struggled in Australia not because of anything wrong with Super Touring, but because the ATCC had a rival set of regulations -- splitting competitors between two series in a very futile manner. If the ATCC had Super Touring regulations with all the competitors in one series, it would have been a cracker!

For ATCC to see how successful (and wonderful) 2000cc regulations were in 1992 as demonstrated so superbly by Mr Needell: https://youtu.be/cEfiwyiV8hs?t=270 , to know that they would please BMW, Nissan & Toyota and then still create alternative, rival regulations is frankly explicable.

The TCR model seems to be the modern BTCC way with reverse grids for lots of action, which is definitely the right choice.

[champcarman]

Except Super Touring cars were high tech super expensive (which killed it) whereas TCR is much more controlled in spec and costs and development, the cars have hardly changed since the SEAT Series car the Formula was based on about 5 years ago. A 3 year old Golf is still competitive today and factory involvement is controlled as well.

[Umai Naa]

The car that won TCR Europe was built in 2014, and has raced every season since.

They just keep updating them year on year. Makes buying a new chassis every year almost redundant, assuming it hasn't been heavily shunted.

[Cinghio44]

Bathurst winner Chaz Mostert samples TCR machinery

Well well well ... if they attract some of the co drivers of V8SC it would be really interesting

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by Cinghio44

Well well well ... if they attract some of the co drivers of V8SC it would be really interesting

Hardly, Moffat, D'Alberto and other co-drivers are not going to pull a crowd; they are all credentialled drivers but not a fan drawcard.

You'd think a smart Honda or Hyundai might like to get Leanne Tander into some marketing, but the family has a relationship with MPC/Audi.

The trick here is whether any of the manufacturers can work these cars into their promotions, marketing, social media etc.

I think we're a long way away from that.

[Cinghio44]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Hardly, Moffat, D'Alberto and other co-drivers are not going to pull a crowd; they are all credentialled drivers but not a fan drawcard.

You'd think a smart Honda or Hyundai might like to get Leanne Tander into some marketing, but the family has a relationship with MPC/Audi.

The trick here is whether any of the manufacturers can work these cars into their promotions, marketing, social media etc.

I think we're a long way away from that.

I said if...

One good thing is that the interest in the category is high. Now the promoters has to ride thw wave. IMO at the moment they're doing okay but as you said there is a lot work to do.

I don't expect massive numbers for the first season. If they can bring 15-16 cars on the grid it would be good. To start a new championship in Australia surely is not easy...

[Mixer]

I'm trying to like it, if it replaced SuperYoots I'd be happy.

Maybe better than Aussie racing cars, but not as entertaining as GT or Porkers for my dollar.

BUT none of those have top-selling manufacturers who could have their name on the door, which whether they pay for it or not, will help attract sponsors and fans.

Surely Hyundai and Honda would be smart enough to have a little display at the races showing off the latest thing from the hot shops?

Maybe I'm a dreamer.

[Razor]

I think they're great small cars but would like to see a sequential shifter ala what they have in the Supercars rather than the flappy paddle shift mechanisms.

[Umai Naa]

It makes no difference to anything whatsoever.

The DSG ones will shift themselves.

[Umai Naa]

Interesting tid bit, is that Molly Taylor is over in Italy testing a Subaru Impreza TCR with Top Run Motorsport.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Interesting tid bit, is that Molly Taylor is over in Italy testing a Subaru Impreza TCR with Top Run Motorsport.

Recovered from that super hard hit at the WRC round last weekend hopefully...

[Umai Naa]

Seems like a big ask, to jump on a plane and head straight to Italy right after.

Worth noting that the Capo family were involved in the process. Perhaps they'll throw their hat in the ring locally?

[Umai Naa]

https://www.speedcafe.com/2018/11/22...cars-for-2019/

Grid cap seems counter-intuitive, but probably won't be enforced. Reads like a smoke-in-mirrors attempt at encouraging people to make a commitment.

[Umai Naa]

https://www.speedcafe.com/2018/11/22...dorsed-events/

Ballsy move by ARG on this one. They may want to clarify their stance on it though, because there's bound to be an uproar akin to the GT3 mess from a year ago.

While I understand the motiviation behind it, take the UK, for example - there's more TCR cars over there NOT running in TCRUK than in it, but I really think it's unnecessary.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

https://www.speedcafe.com/2018/11/22...cars-for-2019/

Grid cap seems counter-intuitive, but probably won't be enforced. Reads like a smoke-in-mirrors attempt at encouraging people to make a commitment.

Is the 20 a minimum or maximum

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

https://www.speedcafe.com/2018/11/22...dorsed-events/

Ballsy move by ARG on this one. They may want to clarify their stance on it though, because there's bound to be an uproar akin to the GT3 mess from a year ago.

While I understand the motiviation behind it, take the UK, for example - there's more TCR cars over there NOT running in TCRUK than in it, but I really think it's unnecessary.

Maybe they equated all the blokes and blokettes looking for drives at the test day as commercial interest in the series

Is Mr Salmon's rumoured 10 TCR chassis plan still happening?