News
Tony D’Alberto confirmed for TCR Australia Series in Honda
Tony D’Alberto will be a full-time driver in the inaugural TCR Australia Series, steering a Honda Civic Type R machine in the all-new touring car class this year.
D’Alberto, a current Supercars endurance driver and reigning Australian GT Endurance Champion, will drive one of Wall Racing’s two Honda Civics.
The second Honda driver is yet to be confirmed.
D’Alberto is a former Super2 Series champion and is regarded as one of Australia’s best all-round race drivers. Last year, he won the Australian GT Endurance Championship with Max Twigg and scored multiple race wins in the Australian Production Car Series driving a Lotus Exige.
The Melbourne-based driver was at the launch of the TCR Australia media and competitors launch last November and drove the Volkswagen Golf.
The second Wall Racing Honda, built by renowned racing organisation JAS Motorsport, is expected to arrive into Australia in the coming weeks ahead of a planned test.
The opening round of the TCR Australia Series will be held at Sydney Motorsport Park on May 17-19.
Every round of TCR Australia will be held alongside the Shannons Nationals Championships, with live, free and HD broadcast coverage of every TCR Australia Series race on SBS.
QUOTES
TONY D’ALBERTO
Driver, Wall Racing
“I’m pleased to confirm that I will drive the Honda in the TCR Australia Series this year,” said Tony D’Alberto.
“I’ve been working hard on getting into the TCR Australia Series. The category has a lot of potential in our racing market here in Australia.
“Personally, I’m really excited to have my own car for the year. Over the past few years, I’ve been driving lots of different cars with other people. It will be nice not be a co-driver for a change!
“The Honda Civic is a great car. From all reports, it is one of the best TCR Series cars in the field at the moment. The JAS Motorsport team has built a fantastic car and I’m confident that with Wall Racing we can be up the front and be competitive.”
DAVID WALL
Team owner, Wall Racing
“It is fantastic to lock in Tony to drive one of our Hondas for this year,” said David Wall.
“Tony and I have driven together in the past and we’ve always had a great respect for each other. I feel that we’re going to be a very good combination.
“The drivers for the first series are now starting to be confirmed quickly, and I have a feeling it’s going to be really competitive.
“I’m hoping that I can lock away our second driver in the coming weeks so we can have everything set for the testing and the opening round.”
MATT BRAID
Director, Australian Racing Group
“It’s very exciting to see someone of the calibre of Tony D’Alberto step into the TCR Australia Series,” said Matt Braid.
“Tony has proven to be one of the fastest and most versatile drivers in the current driver landscape. He has been really impressive in anything he has done, working with some of the best teams from in Australia and around the world.
“The Hondas are a work of art. They are amongst the best built TCR cars on the grid and have proven very fast in testing. I feel that the combination of the Honda, Tony and Wall Racing will be an instant front-runner.”