TCR World Tour coming to Sydney and Bathurst November 2023

[Fordman]

This is something I am really looking forward to. TCR World Tour is a group of about 16 TCR teams (mainly from Europe) with rounds in many countries including Australia. It has recently been announced that in fact there will be 2 rounds in Aust, Sydney Motorsport Park 3-5 Nov, followed by Bathurst the next weekend 10-12 Nov. With the addition of the local TCR teams, there should be about 35 cars on the track, which will be super competitive, and it will be interesting how some of our local teams can hold up against the internationals. At least one of our locals (Ben Bargwanna - Peugeot) is proposing to run the whole world series.

Kumho TCR World Tour to join Supercheap Auto TCR Australia in Sydney - TCR Australia

The first joint event featuring Supercheap Auto TCR Australia and the Kumho TCR World Tour will be hosted at Sydney Motorsport Park. Sydney joins the much revered and highly anticipated trip to Mount Panorama as part of the Supercheap Auto […]

tcraustralia.com

As for me, well I have just booked accommodation near SMSP Eastern Creek and Bathurst, and these meetings will become a central focus for a road trip we have planned for later this year. I reckon at my age I have just one more drive across the Nullarbor in me, and it will be a "take it easy" type drive, over maybe 6 to 8 weeks, including touring of SA, Victoria and NSW. Looking forward to it.

 

[Fordman]

STAN SPORT will broadcast all nine rounds of the 2023 TCR World Tour in Australia, expanding their support of the global Touring Car formula this year. (Also note below re YouTube)
Commencing this weekend at the Autodrómo Internacional do Algarve, Portimão, Stan Sport will broadcast each round live as the series builds to the Aussie double-header in November this year.
Australian interest in the series will be high given the participation of Ben Bargwanna, who will tackle two rounds alongside his existing Supercheap Auto TCR Australia commitments.
Bargwanna will race a Burson-supported Peugeot 308 TCR for Team Clairet Sport in Portugal this weekend and then at Spa Francorchamps in May, for Rounds 3 and 4.

TCR WORLD TOUR – ROUND 1 BROADCAST SCHEDULE
Qualifying: 6:50pm AEST, Saturday 29 April
Race 1: 11:05pm AEST, Saturday 29 April
Race 2: 8:15pm AEST, Sunday 30 April
All Live, Ad-break free and then on demand on Stan Sport. Full report:

Stan Sport to broadcast TCR World Tour in 2023 - TCR Australia

STAN SPORT will broadcast all nine rounds of the 2023 TCR World Tour in Australia, expanding their support of the global Touring Car formula this year. Commencing this weekend at the Autodrómo Internacional do Algarve, Portimão, Stan Sport will broadcast […]

tcraustralia.com

Note: I think it is also being covered live on YouTube under "TCR TV", and appears to be free to watch.

 

[Fordman]

This is something I am really looking forward to. TCR ur local teams can hold up against the internationals. At least one of our locals (Ben Bargwanna - Peugeot) is proposing to run the whole world series.

Just correcting my error in first post. I think Ben Bargwanna is competing in about 3 rounds overseas, not the whole series.
But interestingly, the Australian TCR series, of which Ben will be competing all rounds, also carry points to the World Series which can qualify any competitor to take part in the Final at the end of the season.

 

[COL]

Just correcting my error in first post. I think Ben Bargwanna is competing in about 3 rounds overseas, not the whole series.
But interestingly, the Australian TCR series, of which Ben will be competing all rounds, also carry points to the World Series which can qualify any competitor to take part in the Final at the end of the season.

Its good to see that we have a series of racing that our drivers can compete in overseas, something that was made harder when Group A was killed off in this country.

 

[Fordman]

TCR WORLD TOUR – ROUND 1 - PORTIMAO, ALGARVE, PORTUGAL - 29-30 APRIL.
OK, now I have watched this round, qualy and both races. A few interesting points.

Firstly, it was a bit strange to see a big track with NOBODY in the stands, my guess is they just hired the track to hold the event not open to the public for economic reasons, or else just no-one turned up, which I can't imagine.
My personal opinion is the track was too big for TCR, I think they operate better on a shorter, narrower track. They could run 5 wide on the straights, and big sweeping corners weren't much narrower - good for F1, where they did run one or two events during Covid.
However, the racing wasn't too bad, race 1 was quite uneventful, with Australian Ben Bargwanna qualifying 19th and finishing in 17th (I think). Race 2 had a reversed grid for the first 10 places, and there was a bit of "forceful" driving in the first couple of laps, causing safety car intervention, but good hard racing followed. Young Ben held his own, moved forward a few places, finished 12th or 13th outright, and got a trophy as the best rookie, so a good start to the year, with no damage.

The point scoring for the World Tour is interesting in that those drivers signed up for the World Tour are scored separately from the local racers, in this case TCR Europe, (which was what Ben B. was entered under). So TCR Europe drivers could score points to the World Tour, but World Tour drivers could not earn points to the TCR Europe championship, or whichever country they are racing at during the year.
So local drivers can build up World Tour points during the year, and I note that points have been allocated against TCR Australia drivers for the events already held in Australia this year. The object is that 15 top World Tour drivers, plus the 30 highest point-scoring non-World drivers, are selected to hold a single World Championship meeting in early 2024, I don't think the venue has been selected yet. So I guess that is the aim of the Bargwannas, to attend 3 or so Overseas meetings (their next is Spa Francorchamps), plus all the TCR Australia rounds, and accumulate enough points to qualify for the final.

I watched it on Stan Sport, but here is a link to the YouTube TCR TV highlights of race 2.

One good thing they did, was with the safety car periods, they added 2 laps to the 12 scheduled laps, to extend the race.
Cheers.

 

[Fordman]

BEN BARGWANNA WINS TCR EUROPE ROOKIE TROPHY IN PORTIMAO​

Ben Bargwanna wins TCR Europe Rookie Trophy in Portimao - TCR Australia

Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series driver Ben Bargwanna has won the TCR Europe Rookie Trophy after just missing the top 10 in the second race of the Kumho TCR World Tour at Portimao. Bargwanna stood on the podium alongside TCR […]

tcraustralia.com

 

[Fordman]

Watching Ben Bargwanna having a go at Spa Francochamps this weekend. 17th in qualy.
Race 1 at 9.30pm tonight (WA), 11.30 (AEST).
Can watch on Stan Sports or YouTube TCR TV.