News
Fan-focussed race innovations revealed as first cars arrive for TCR Australia
- 2019 TCR Australia Series Sporting Regulations released
- Unique pit lane procedures to add spice to TCR Australia Series
- Race distance, tyre allocation, points structure and BOP explained
- First batch of cars arrive on Australian soil
As the first batch of TCR Series cars arrive on Australian soil, category organisers have revealed a host of innovations aimed at boosting fan engagement and broadcast flow in the sporting regulations ahead of the Sydney Motorsport Park season opener in two weeks time.
Based on international TCR competitions, the race weekend format and procedures ensure race fans and free-to-air television audiences will enjoy back-to-back TCR action and minimal down time.
TCR Australia teams will have 30 minutes at the conclusion of Race 2 to before Race 3 starts on Sunday. Once the 10 minute Parc Ferme conditions have been lifted after Race 2, teams will have just 20 minutes allocated for repair time before the pit lane closes for the commencement of Race 3. In this period, the cars will remain at a 45 degree angle on the pit apron allowing fans and viewers to be closer to the action than ever before when repairs and adjustments are made to the cars ahead of the final race.
Teams will not need to refuel between Races 2 and 3, with cars having the capacity to complete both races on a single tank.
The round format for the inaugural TCR Australia Series will see teams hit the track for two 30-minute practice sessions on Friday, one 30-minute qualifying session and one 30-minute race on Saturday. Sunday’s races are also 30-minutes in length, using a progressive grid structure throughout.
Teams will have access to 10 new dry Michelin hard-compound slick tyres for each round. Cars will be required to be fitted with a full new set for qualifying, with a further two new tyres required for Races 1 and 2.
The first two races of the weekend will receive 40 points for victory, while Race 3 will carry further emphasis with 50 points on offer for the winner and larger hauls down the field. The fastest qualifier will also receive two championship points for their efforts, on top of the $1000 cash prize on offer for the Astrontech Pole Award.
TCR Australia will run under the same technical regulations and Balance of Performance (BOP) recognised for all TCR competitions worldwide. As per regulations, BOP will be assessed constantly and changes can occur from round to round. A host of data will be compiled with TCR Series data globally to calculate any BOP movements, if deemed necessary.
TCR Australia’s Sporting Regulations have been developed in conjunction with the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS).
Round 1 of the 2019 TCR Australia Series is the headlining act at the opening event of the Shannons Nationals, to be held at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 17-19.
The most recent batch of cars have arrived in Melbourne and Sydney, including two Volkswagen Golfs that were recently raced in Malaysia, two Subaru WRX STIs and two Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloces into Melbourne, as well as a Honda Civic that has arrived in Sydney.
The pair of Opel Astras and Renault Mégane RS TCR are expected to land in Melbourne in the coming days ahead of the Winton test on Monday.
All races will be broadcast live, free and in high definition on SBS, with a live stream available worldwide on the TCR Australia website.
Tickets for the opening event at Sydney Motorsport Park are now on sale via the Shannons Nationals website. CLICK HERE to secure your tickets and see touring car history being made …
QUOTES
Liam Curkpatrick
Category Manager, TCR Australia
“Putting the 2019 TCR Australia Series Sporting Regulations together has been a joint effort between Series Management and CAMS. There was a lot of effort put into creating an exciting format for teams to compete under and for fans to watch,” said Liam Curkpatrick.
“One of the unique parts of the round formats is the short time in between Races 2 and 3. Cars must stay in pit lane in between these races with crew only being able to work on the cars for a short window before pit exit opens for Race 3.
“This brings the teams into the forefront and in public view getting the cars turned around in time. It adds another element to the show and is something very different to what we are used to. I’m confident that the fans will find this very exciting.
“From the outset it was important that we make the racing entertaining for the teams, the fans at the track and those watching the live SBS TV broadcast. We are pleased with what has been put together and look forward to getting the series started in Sydney in two weeks.”