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TCR FIRES UP AT THE BEND WITH TWILIGHT SHAKEDOWN
Kumho FIA TCR World Tour track activity is officially underway at Tailem Bend, following a shakedown session late on Friday.
On a day which began with the entire TCR World Tour fleet of cars and equipment still travelling in shipping containers following sea freight delays after the championship’s last round in Portugal in July, an 18-car combined TCR Australia and TCR World Tour field completed a trouble-free session.
While the session was intended as an opportunity for TCR World Tour teams to sort their cars after two months at sea, a number of teams took the chance to push for representative lap times under a setting South Australian sun.
None moreso than BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, with drivers Norbert Michelisz and Mikel Azcona heading the timesheets after wasting no time in hitting their marks.
In just his sixth lap of Shell V-Power Motorsport Park, three-time world TCR champion Michelisz lapped the 4.945km circuit in 1m55.7080s – remarkably, less than one-tenth of a second shy from the TCR Australia qualifying record set by Dylan O’Keeffe in 2019.
Defending and two-time TCR Australia Series champion Josh Buchan was fastest of the local runners and third quickest, eight-tenths of a second away from Michelisz’s best.
TCR Australia rookies Ryan MacMillan and Cody Burcher performed notably in their first competitive TCR sessions.
MacMillan, driving the #5 HMO Customer Racing Hyundai i30 Sedan N, lapped eighth quickest and 2.2s off Michelisz’s benchmark while Burcher, in his first ever laps in a TCR car, finished a respectable 3.2s away from the pace with the 14th fastest time.
The Kumho FIA TCR World Tour field returns for a single 30-minute practice session at 7:15am ACST on Saturday, followed by Qualifying at 9:00am ACST and the weekend’s opening 13-lap race at 2:15pm ACST.
Australian audiences can watch Qualifying and both races from Tailem Bend live on Fox Sports and Kayo.