Category: News

HMO Customer Racing drivers Josh Buchan and Bailey Sweeny have swapped positions at the top of the 2023 TCR Australia Championship after a challenging fourth round of the series at Queensland Raceway.

On a weekend of missed opportunities for the Hyundai team, Buchan inherited the championship lead – by a solitary point – after Sweeny was forced to fight back from an electrical issue that led to him being disqualified from the first of three races held on the technical 3.13km circuit.

The weekend started with plenty of potential, with Sweeny and Buchan setting the fifth and sixth fastest times in the opening practice session. Sweeny, the 20-year-old winner of last year’s Rookie of the Year award, showcased his pace in the second practice session with the second fastest time, while Buchan’s mechanics fine-tuned the handling of his Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR but he could only manage 10^th place on well-used tyres.

Sweeny backed-up his speed in qualifying with the second fastest time – just 0.17sec behind the polesitter – while Buchan narrowly missed out on a second-row starting position, ending the session with the seventh-fastest time.

The HMO Customer Racing garage was sent into a frenzy moments before the opening race when Sweeny’s car failed to start with an unexpected electrical issue. The team scrambled to get the Hyundai i30 N TCR out of the garage in time for a pit lane start, but the car stalled moments before the start and was forced back into the garage. He managed to get out on track two laps behind the leaders and soldiered through the remainder of the race while managing the issue.

However, he was later disqualified from the results with the race stewards declaring the vehicle was not re-started in accordance to the regulations.

Buchan, meanwhile, was involved in a titanic mid-field tussle all the way throughout the 21-lap opening race, and eventually made up two positions to cross the finish line in fifth position.

He couldn’t capitalise on the improved starting position in the second race with the top-10 placegetters in reverse order after he was boxed out in a wheel-banging brawl on the opening lap and lost one place to finish sixth.

Similarly, Sweeny couldn’t take full advantage of his outright speed now that his car was fully repaired, having been forced to start from the rear of the grid. But he managed to charge his way through the backmarkers and climbed from 13^th to finish ninth.

Both drivers were hampered during the final race by unnecessary driving incidents. Sweeny, again starting from the back of the grid, was held-up by the slowest drivers during the opening laps, and then, once past them, he was nudged off the track following an ambitious overtaking move under brakes in the final turn.

He quickly reclaimed his position in front of them and set about charging his way through the mid-field runners to cross the finish line in sixth. He was later classified in fifth following a post-race penalty for defending champion Tony D’Alberto.

Buchan, meanwhile, was forced to react and avoid a desperate first-lap attack from rival Jordan Cox, who collided with his i30 Sedan N TCR and damaged the front suspension. The 28-year-old managed to continue and soldiered through with his mis-handling machine to finish seventh.

The fifth round of the 2023 TCR Australia Championship will be held at Sandown Raceway in Victoria on September 8-10.

Car 30: i30 Sedan N TCR – Josh Buchan

“Queensland Raceway hasn’t been kind to us again, but I leave here with the lead of the series – somehow! It was a weird weekend on my side of the garage, as we never really had a fast car other than in qualifying and I made a slight error there which cost us a second row starting position that could have led to a much better outcome in the races. That’s on me, and I should have done a better job.

“In terms of the racing, this track does not suit our car one bit. To get away with more points than my teammate Bailey, and lead the series, means I can’t complain at all. I could have had a better result in the third race but got speared into.

“All in all, there is a silver lining to a tough weekend and I’m happy to roll onto Sandown in the championship lead.”

Car 130: i30 N TCR – Bailey Sweeny

“This weekend really threw everything at us, and it was a real character-building event on my side of the garage as nothing seemed to go right for us. The pace was there in the car, which we showed in qualifying and then fighting back through the field in the final race. I am confident we had the second quickest car all weekend, but the results don’t show that.

“We’re still in the battle, but we should have extended the lead we had in the championship coming into this round.”

Race Results: Round 4, Queensland Raceway, Victoria

	Josh Buchan	Bailey Sweeny
Practice 1	P11 (1:15.6502sec)	P4 (1:14.8496sec)
Practice 2	P10 (1:15.2359sec)	P2 (1:14.5483sec)
Qualifying	P7 (1:14.2364sec)	P2 (1:13.8942sec)
Race 1	P5 (1:15.1291sec)	DSQ
Race 2	P6 (1:15.8994sec)	P9 (1:6.1195sec)
Race 3	P6 (1:16.1270sec)	P5 (1:150168sec)

2023 TCR Australia Championship Standings (provisional)

Position	Name	Car	Points
1.	Josh Buchan	Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR	457
2.	Bailey Sweeny	Hyundai i30 N TCR	456
3	Aaron Cameron	Peugeot 308 TCR	425
4.	Jordan Cox	Peugeot 308 TCR	400
5.	Tony D’Alberto	Honda Civic Type R	387
6.	Lachlan Minneef	Audi RS3 LMS	384
7.	Ben Bargwanna	Peugeot 308 R	382
8.	Michael Clemente	Cupra Leon TCR	372
9.	Kody Garland	Peugeot 308 TCR	313
10.	Brad Harris	Honda Civic Type R	273

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Hyundai is hoping to maintain its winning form in the TCR Australia Championship and breakthrough for its first victory at Queensland Raceway during this weekend’s fourth third round of the series.

HMO Customer Racing has dominated the opening rounds of the 2023 TCR Australia Championship with Bailey Sweeny and Josh Buchan currently occupying the top two positions in the drivers’ championship, having won five of the nine races held so far.

But the team faces a tough challenge at Queensland Raceway this weekend as it has never finished higher than fourth on the demanding 3.13km circuit, located near Ipswich, south-west of Brisbane.

However, a productive pre-event test session last week has given the team critical set-up information, and allowed both drivers to fine-tune their machines at a circuit where thousands of a second will likely make the difference in qualifying.

With only six corners, Queensland Raceway places huge emphasis on braking performance, traction and straight-line speed, all of which will be compromised by the weight penalties carried by Sweeny and Buchan as a result of their success in setting the second and third fastest times respectively in qualifying for the previous round at Winton Motor Raceway.

Sweeny has the best form at HMO Customer Racing heading to Queensland Raceway, having scored two top-five finishes in his rookie season last year.

HMO Customer Racing will have two 30-minute practice sessions on Friday to fine tune the cars ahead of qualifying on Saturday before three races over the remainder of the weekend.

Fans can catch all the action from Queensland Raceway and the Motorsport Australia Shannons Speed Series live and on-demand via Stan Sport.

What the drivers said:

Car 30: i30 Sedan N TCR – Josh Buchan

“Historically, Queensland Raceway has been a bit of a bogey track for us at HMO Customer Racing. We got ambushed there last year on my side of the garage with a failure in first practice and then rain in the second practice, so I went into qualifying completely blind. And then I got my pants pulled down a bit.

“But we don’t have any excuses this year in terms of preparation. The test was extremely productive in getting a head start on the weekend ahead of us, and we’ll take what we’ve learned and hit the ground running.

“It’s not going be an easy weekend with the success ballast we’re carrying in the Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR, but I’ve got the best team around me and if I can just chip away at it and stay out of trouble then I’m positive we’ll have a great result.”

Car 130: i30 N TCR – Bailey Sweeny

“We had good speed at Queensland Raceway last year with a couple of top five results, and a good fightback from being turned around in the other race. So, I’m looking forward to improving on those results this weekend and maintain my position at the top of the championship as we head into the second half of the season.

“We had a really positive test day there which we highlighted some areas of the car we had to improve, which is really beneficial to understand before this weekend.

“I like Queensland Raceway as a circuit, and it always produces great action for the fans who can see the whole track from wherever they are watching. The big braking zones really suit my driving style, so hopefully we can put on a great show and come away with a podium – or two!”

Track Facts	Queensland Raceway
Location	Ipswich, Queensland
Length	3.13km
TCR Pole Record	1:12.52sec – Tony D’Alberto, Honda Civic Type R (2022)
TCR Lap Record	1:13.90sec – Jay Hanson, Audi RS3 LMS (2022)

Hyundai cemented its position as title contenders for the 2023 TCR Championship with a 1-2 finish in the third round of the series at Winton Motor Raceway.

Bailey Sweeny extended his championship lead with two podiums from three races, including a lights-to-flag victory in the final sprint, while teammate Josh Buchan climbed to second position on the drivers’ standings with third and second-place finishes.

HMO Customer Racing has now won five of the nine races held so far in the 2023 TCR Australia Championship.

Both HMO Customer Racing drivers hit the track with immediate pace, as Buchan and Sweeny finished second and third in the opening practice session. Sweeny again set the third-fastest time in the second practice session while Buchan spent the majority of the session in the garage fine-tuning his i30 Sedan N TCR and finished in 10^th position.

In qualifying, Sweeny was on course for a last-lap dash that would have landed him on pole position, only to be baulked by a slower rival in the tightest section of the circuit forcing him to settle for a front-row start in second position with Buchan just behind in third place.

Buchan made a fast start to the opening 18-lap race, blasting into second position as the field stormed towards the first corner and then maintained position for the first two laps. However, he was caught out by slippery conditions while exiting a corner and veered off the circuit, losing two places to teammate Sweeny and Zac Soutar to come home fourth.

Sweeny, having never officially raced at Winton before, was consistently the fastest driver on track as he chased down race leader Michael Clemente, closing to within 1.2 seconds when the chequered flag dropped.

With the top-10 positions reversed for the second race, Buchan and Sweeny charged through the field to make-up positions, with Buchan taking third and Sweeny improving from ninth to fifth.

This ensured that both HMO Customer Racing cars occupied the front row of the grid for the final race. When the lights went out, Sweeny bolted away from the start and was never challenged, eventually crossing the finish line 20 seconds clear of teammate Buchan, who had to fend off numerous attacks during the race.

The fourth round of the 2023 TCR Australia Championship will be held at Queensland Raceway on August 11-13.

What the Driver’s said

Car 30: i30 Sedan N TCR – Josh Buchan

“Wow, we’ve certainly exceeded our expectations this weekend with two surprising – and fantastic – podiums and a great haul of points that has put us right up there in the championship standings. We were carrying the maximum weight penalty for our success at Phillip Island, and we really thought it would have a massive impact on our performance with the tight layout of Winton.

“It’s a credit to the team to get both cars up the front, and a tremendous result for Bailey. To be next to him on the podium was a great feeling.”

Car 130: i30 N TCR – Bailey Sweeny

“We had mega potential right from the outset, which we didn’t really get to show until the final race. That was my biggest win – by 20 seconds – which I rapt about, and adding to the race win tally.

“It’s been a solid weekend for us in terms of the championship too, and the gap just seems to be getting bigger and bigger, which is something I like to see.”

2023 TCR Australia Championship Standings

1	Bailey Sweeny	Hyundai i30 N TCR	387
2	Josh Buchan	Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR	351
3	Jordan Cox	Peugeot 308 TCR	326
4	Aaron Cameron	Peugeot 308 TCR	307
5	Lachlan Mineef	Audi RS3 LMS	302
6	Ben Bargwanna	Peugeot 308 TCR	288
7	Tony D’Alberto	Honda Civic Type R	280
8	Michael Clemente	Cupra Leon TCR	274
9	Tom Oliphant	Alfa Romeo Giulietta	268
10	Kody Garland	Peugeot 308 TCR	264

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Hyundai is hoping to maintain its winning ways in the TCR Australia Championship as the third round of the series will be held at Winton Motor Raceway in rural Victoria this weekend.

HMO Customer Racing has won all four of the non-reverse grid races so far this year, with Bailey Sweeny scoring a double victory in the opening round at Symmons Plains in Tasmania and Josh Buchan taking the breakthrough first pole position and two race wins for the new-generation Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR at Phillip Island last month.

As a result, Sweeny extended his lead in the 2023 TCR Australia Championship while Buchan climbed to fourth on the drivers’ standings and is now the highest placed Australian driver in the TCR World Rankings in 29^th position.

“It was a great confidence boost for the whole team with the first race wins for the Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR at Phillip Island,” said Buchan.

“I think back to when I first started racing in TCR and I managed to take my first win in the fourth round, and we were jumping for joy. Now, even though we’ve accelerated that process by winning with the new car at only its third round, we still have our feet on the ground and immediately set our focus forward to ensuring we maintain that position as we head to Winton this weekend.

“That’s a sign that our expectations are greater this year.”

The tight and twisty nature of the 3.0km Winton Motor Raceway, located near Benalla in central Victoria, presents a totally different set of demands on the cars and drivers compared to the fast and flowing Phillip Island circuit.

Buchan isn’t underestimating the challenge ahead of him either, as he will be carrying 40kg of success ballast as a result of qualifying on pole position at Phillip Island.

“Qualifying will be extremely important for us this weekend, but I’m confident we will have a good race car,” he added.

Despite never have raced at Winton before, Sweeny believes he can maintain his front-running form and defend his championship lead this weekend, knowing that his Hyundai i30 N TCR has race-winning pedigree at the circuit.

HMO Customer Racing scored pole position and two race victories with Will Brown in the only previous TCR Australia Championship event to be held at Winton, in 2019.

HMO Customer Racing will have two 30 minute practice sessions on Friday to fine tune the cars ahead of qualifying on Saturday before three races over the remainder of the weekend.

Fans can catch all the action from Winton and the Motorsport Australia Shannons Speed Series live and on-demand via Stan Sport.

What the drivers said:

Car 30: i30 Sedan N TCR – Josh Buchan

“Even though I’ve never raced in TCR at Winton, it is a track we are no stranger to as it was the circuit where we first tested the Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR, and I have driven plenty of laps around the place.

“It’s certainly not the most ideal track to be carrying the maximum weight penalty, as it is very narrow and technical. For us, that places a huge emphasis on qualifying and – wherever we end up – I’m sure I’ll need to get the elbows out to either attack or defend. In saying that, I’m confident we have a great race car, and we have to consolidate our position with a clean weekend.

“I’m not carried away with the championship positions just yet. I know some of my rivals will have a point to prove this weekend, but I’ll be happy to stay out of trouble and play in the slips if there’s chaos around me.”

Car 130: i30 N TCR – Bailey Sweeny

“I’ve never actually raced at Winton before, but I’ve done plenty of laps around there so I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it this weekend. It’s a great track where you have to be really aggressive, and where thousandths of a second can make a massive difference in qualifying. It’s going to be really tight in qualifying; a bit like Symmons Plains, which we won.

“I know the car and the team have the speed to win, as they did with Will Brown in 2019, so I’m confident we have the package to be competitive. The only variable will be the weather, which places an unknown element of jeopardy. I’m obviously hoping it is dry. But I’m 100 percent prepared to get the elbows out and defend my position at the top of the championship standings.”

Phillip Island, Victoria – Hyundai’s Josh Buchan has stormed into title contention for the 2023 TCR Australia Championship with a dominant victory in round two of the series at Phillip Island.

The 28-year-old Sydneysider scored two emphatic lights-to-flag victories from pole position to jump from eighth to fourth in the standings while his HMO Customer Racing teammate, Bailey Sweeny, extended his championship lead with a consistent run of top five finishes in the three races.

Buchan’s Phillip Island success was the first pole position and race victories for the new-generation Hyundai i30 Sedan TCR in Australia.

“What a fantastic weekend for me, Hyundai and the HMO Customer Racing team with pole position at two race wins at one of the best racetracks in the country,” said Buchan.

“The team has been working hard to understand the Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR, and it was an incredible feeling to have such success with the new-generation car. This is going to be a very competitive championship all the way to final round at Bathurst in November, so we’re not counting our chickens. But it is definitely a great breakthrough and gives us a lot of confidence moving forward.”

Both HMO Customer Racing drivers were among the front runners as soon as the action began at Phillip Island, with Sweeny and Buchan finishing in the top five for both practice sessions.

Buchan then vaulted to the top of the timesheets in qualifying to score pole position with a time that was more 0.3 seconds quicker than his closest rival while Sweeny stopped the clock with the fourth fastest time.

Buchan bolted away from pole position and eeked out enough of advantage over the first few laps to comfortably manage his pace for the remainder of the race to cross the finish line 2.5 seconds clear of second place.

Sweeny, on the other hand, had to charge back through the field after succumbing to wheelspin off the start line and losing places on the opening lap. Thanks to a series of skilled overtakes, he came home in fourth.

With the top-10 placegetters reversed for the second sprint, both HMO Customer Racing drivers were embroiled in door-banging clashes among the mid-field runners throughout the race. And both Sweeny and Buchan successfully played the long game and steered clear of trouble to cross the finish in fifth and 10^th respectively.

With Buchan starting from pole position again in the final race, he simply repeated his performance from Saturday to lead every lap and eventually crossed the finish line to score another win and the overall round victory, while Sweeny had another consistent run to fifth place.

Buchan’s dominant Phillip Island performance has elevated him into fourth position on the championship standings, just 22 points behind Sweeny.

The third round of the 2023 TCR Australia Championship will be held at the Winton Raceway in Victoria on June 9-11.

Car 30: i30 Sedan N TCR – Josh Buchan

“I’m pretty rapt with the weekend’s results. I didn’t really think that was going to be the outcome before we came here, but the team has done such an amazing job in the break since round one to get to grips with the i30 Sedan N TCR and we rolled the car out of the truck with top-five pace in practice, which made me optimistic for the rest of the weekend.

“To score the first pole for the new car on Saturday was amazing and then to back it up with the first win was even more incredible. But that made me super anxious, knowing that we could lose it all in the reverse grid race two. Thankfully, we kept out of trouble which gave us pole again for the last race and we could convert that into another win.

“I’m always confident that if I can get in front then I’m pretty hard to mow down, and we proved that this weekend.

“As for the championship, I want to be there at the end and this result has put us ahead of our targets at this point in the season. So, we will continue to chip away at it and hopefully by the time we arrive at Bathurst in November we will be the one to beat.”

Car 130: i30 N TCR – Bailey Sweeny

“I had really good speed from the outset, but we probably didn’t really maximise our potential in the races after a couple of poor starts. But our consistency paid off and we’ve extended our championship lead, which is a positive.

“I’m now looking ahead to the next round at Winton, which should suit the Hyundai i30 N TCR especially considering we lose the success ballast we picked up from qualifying in Tasmania.”

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Hyundai is aiming to retain its lead in the 2023 TCR Australia Championship as HMO Customer Racing heads to the iconic Phillip Island circuit this weekend for the second round of the series.

Sophomore sensation Bailey Sweeny sits atop of the standings after dominating the opening round at Symmons Plains in Tasmania earlier this year, taking two race victories and setting the fastest lap in his Hyundai i30 N TCR, while teammate Josh Buchan battled mechanical issues in his Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR and arrives at Phillip Island in eighth position.

HMO Customer Racing have worked closely with Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing in Germany over the last six weeks to better understand the unique set-up requirements of the new generation i30 Sedan N, which currently leads the TCR World Tour after recently taking victory in the opening round at Portimao in Portugal.

Buchan believes the fast and flowing nature of the picturesque seaside circuit will naturally showcase the strengths of the sleek four-door machinery and is confident he can be a genuine front-running contender at Phillip Island to claw back into title contention.

“Phillip Island is more like a traditional European circuit, and we know the i30 Sedan N TCR is already a winning package from its continued success in the TCR World Tour,” said the 28-year-old Hyundai Australia supported driver.

“Tassie was tough on my side of the garage, but we’ve done a lot of work since then to better understand and prepare the car for Phillip Island. And I’m looking forward to rewarding the team with a return to the front this weekend.”

For Sweeny, the 20-year-old from Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast is aiming to defend his title lead, despite carrying a 30kg penalty at Phillip Island for his Symmons Plains success.

Sweeny is confident that recent adjustments to the Balance of Performance restrictions placed on the Hyundai i30 N TCR, which now allow it to run a lower ride height and a reduction in the minimum weight, will counteract any deficit imposed by the success ballast.

HMO Customer Racing will have two 30min practice sessions on Friday to fine tune the cars ahead of qualifying on Saturday before three 16-lap races over the remainder of the weekend.

Fans can catch all the action from Phillip Island and the Motorsport Australia Shannons Speed Series live and on-demand via Stan Sport.

What the drivers said:

Car 30: i30 Sedan N TCR – Josh Buchan

“We showed a lot of promise in Tasmania by qualifying second, but it ended up being a really tough round on my side of the garage and it was the first time I’d left Symmons Plains without a trophy.

“We’ve put a lot of effort into the new Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR during the long break we’ve had since then and are working closely with Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing in Germany. The car is proving to be fast in the TCR World Tour, but we just have to unlock that speed here in Australia.

“Phillip Island is more like a European circuit than any other in Australia so it should be a great opportunity for us to showcase its strengths. I know at the end of the day we just have to keep chipping away at it and be consistently up the front, which hopefully starts for us this weekend at the Island.”

Car 130: i30 N TCR – Bailey Sweeny

“It’s been great to say I’m the championship leader for the last couple of months, but at the same time I’m really keen to get back in the car at Phillip Island this weekend and build on the momentum we have after winning the opening round in Tasmania.

“Phillip Island is a track that always produces great racing, and we will have to bring our A-game to counteract the 30kg ballast we will be carrying as a penalty for our success in Tassie. But I’m confident we will still be fighting at the front and I’m looking forward to a clean weekend to retain the championship lead.”

2023 TCR Australia Championship Standings

Position	Name	Car	Points
1	Bailey Sweeny	Hyundai i30 N TCR	137
2	Tony D’Alberto	Honda Civic Type R	123
3	Aaron Cameron	Peugeot 308 TCR	119
4	Jordan Cox	Peugeot 308 TCR	118
5	Tom Oliphant	Alfa Romeo Giulietta	108
6	Lachlan Mineef	Audi RS3 LMS	104
7	Kody Garland	Peugeot 308 TCR	102
8	Josh Buchan	Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR	92
9	Michael Clemente	Audi RS3 LMS	90
10	Iain MacDougal	Audi RS3 LMS	80

HMO Customer Racing has taken an early lead in the 2023 TCR Australia Championship with a dominant performance, and overall round victory, by rising star Bailey Sweeny during the season opener at Symmons Plains in Tasmania.

Sweeny proved he will be a genuine title contender in his sophomore season, winning two of the three 30-lap races from the front row of the grid and setting the fastest lap in his Hyundai i30 N TCR.

The 20-year-old from Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast, who finished fifth and won the rookie of the year award in his debut season last year, qualified in third position but started the opening race unchallenged at the front of the field after a mechanical issue ruled out polesitter Will Brown and a technical infringement sent teammate, Josh Buchan, to the rear of the field from second place.

Sweeny went on to score a dominant lights-to-flag victory in the first race and greeted the chequered flag 7.6 seconds clear of reigning TCR Australia champion, Tony D’Alberto, while Buchan quickly clawed his way through the backmarkers to cross the line in seventh. He was later promoted to sixth following a post-race penalty for rival Aaron Cameron.

Buchan hoped to salvage a haul of points in the second race, which starts with the top 10 in reverse order. But he suffered a mechanical issue on the start line that restricted the power output of his Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR and subsequently dropped to ninth.

Sweeny, on the other hand, continued to showcase his speed and marched through the field to finish sixth, which gave him the highest aggregate pointscore to start the final race from pole position.

Even though he dropped two positions on the opening lap, Sweeny clawed back to the front by the middle of the race and then built a comfortable lead to take his fourth individual race victory and score his second successive TCR Australia round following his maiden win at the 2022 season finale, the Bathurst International at Mount Panorama, last November.

Buchan, who started from the back of the grid in the final race, quickly moved into the top 10 in the opening laps, but any further progress was halted by being stuck at the rear of a four-car, nose-to-tail train. He crossed the finished line in ninth.

As a result, Sweeny leads the 2023 TCR Australia Championship standings for the first time with 137 points – 14 ahead of D’Alberto – with Buchan in eighth on 92 points.

The second round of the 2023 TCR Australia Championship will be held at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on May 12-14.

Car 130: i30 N TCR – Bailey Sweeny

“I couldn’t ask for a better way to start the championship, with two race wins and leading the championship for the first time. It’s my second round victory in a row.

“We showed last year that the momentum was building from the middle of the season, which we’ve put into effect right from the start of this year. Hopefully we can continue be among the front runners at Phillip Island and be consistent to stay at the top of the ladder.”

Car 30: i30 Sedan N TCR – Josh Buchan

“We didn’t have the weekend we expected with a few curveballs thrown at us that put us on the back foot right from the outset.

“The team at HMO Customer Racing did an amazing job to rectify the issues and we know we have a very fast car. But we just didn’t have the opportunities to showcase its speed here at Symmons Plains because it is such a difficult track with limited passing. If we had kept our second place from qualifying it would have made the rest of the weekend a lot easier, but that’s racing…

“On the bright side, we got a bunch of points, the car isn’t damaged and we’ve learnt a lot more about the Hyundai i30 Sedan N TC R. Plus, we’re not taking any success penalties to Phillip Island where we know the car will be strong and I can guarantee we will try everything to get back to the front and make it a lot easier than what we had here.”

HMO Customer Racing has taken first blood with Bailey Sweeny scoring a dominant lights-to-flag victory in the opening race of the first round of the 2023 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia at Symmons Plains in Tasmania.

The 20-year-old qualified third, but ending up starting alone on the front row after pole sitter Will Brown damaged the transmission in his Audi RS3 LMS that could not be repaired, while team mate Josh Buchan was stripped of his second place when he was penalised for an engine irregularity that was discovered in post-qualifying checks.

Sweeny made a lightning getaway off the start line and was never challenged throughout the 30-lap race, building a comfortable 7.5 second margin by mid-distance and then controlling the pace to take the chequered flag ahead of reigning series champion, Tony D’Alberto, and Kody Garland.

Buchan, meanwhile, made a stunning comeback to show the true pace of the latest-generation Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR after the team were hampered by a turbo charger issue during Friday’s initial practice sessions. The 28-year-old charged from the back of the grid to scythe through the back markers in the opening laps, and soon became embroiled in a nose-to-tail battle with Jordan Cox that saw the two drivers swapping positions throughout the remainder of the race. Buchan crossed the finish line in seventh, handing him a second-row starting position for the second race which reverses the Top 10.

What the drivers said

Bailey Sweeny – Hyundai i30 N TCR #130

Qualifying: P3 (56.3137sec)

Race 1: P1 (56.9386sec – Fastest Lap)

“It is awesome to take the first win of the season. After Josh’s little mishap in qualifying we had a clear run from the front row of the grid into the turn one. I then put the blinkers on and focused on myself, managing to pull away and build a comfortable lead. The Hyundai i30 N TCR is a rocketship this weekend and I can’t wait to see what we can do starting from 10th in the reverse grid race.”

Josh Buchan – Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR #30

Qualifying: P2 (56.2112sec)

Race 1: P7 (57.0187sec)

“The first race of the year is one that got away from us. As an overall result it’s not too bad, considering the trouble we had to overcome yesterday. We made up six spots pretty quickly in the race and start on the second row of the grid tomorrow, which gives us a great opportunity to salvage some points and catch up on some silverware. More importantly, there’s a silver lining to our day in that we won’t carry any success ballast into the next round at Phillip Island.”

HMO Customer Racing had a bittersweet first day of official practice for the 2023 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Championship at Symmons Plains, with Bailey Sweeny setting the pace at the front of the pack while Josh Buchan was hampered by mechanical issues near the back of the grid.

Sweeny set the fastest time in the first of two 20-minute practice sessions around the fast 2.41km circuit, located just south Launceston in Tasmania, and traded times at the top of the timesheet with Will Brown to finish the second session just over 0.1sec behind in second place.

Buchan, on the other hand, battled with an engine issue in his new generation Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR that restricted his outright top speed, a critical factor to achieving a fast lap time at Symmons Plains. He finished ninth and 12th respectively in the two practice sessions.

Qualifying begins at 1:20pm Saturday with the first of three 30-lap races at 4:10pm.

What the Drivers said:

Bailey Sweeny – Hyundai i30 N TCR #130

“It’s been a really positive start to the season; we were fastest yesterday in the tyre test and then quickest again in P1 and second in P2. It’s very close at the top of the timesheets and it feels like the difference between a great lap and a good one will be first or fifth, but hopefully we remain at the pointy end. Let’s see what the weekend brings.”

Josh Buchan – Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR #30

“Well, practice is done and dusted for the first round and we’ve got some work to do to extract more speed from the i30 Sedan N TCR. We’ll put our heads into the laptops and see what we can come up with and hopefully find a fix for qualifying and fight a little higher up the grid. Bailey is doing a great job on the other side of the garage, so at least one of us is kicking goals. But we won’t give up and hopefully the races come to us.

Josh Buchan is ready for a title assault on the 2023 TCR Australia Championship armed with a striking livery, created exclusively for his new-generation Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR, and supported by Hyundai Motor Company Australia.

The 28-year-old Sydneysider enters his third season in the TCR Australia Championship and will spearhead a streamlined two-car operation at HMO Customer Racing alongside last year’s rookie of the year, Bailey Sweeny, who will continue to compete in the Hyundai i30 N TCR (hatch).

Buchan will debut the new-look i30 Sedan N TCR, which takes inspiration from Hyundai Motorsport’s global racing activities, in the curtain raiser to the seven-round Speed Series at Symmons Plains in Tasmania this weekend.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia Chief Executive Officer Ted Lee said: “Motorsport has been part of Hyundai N’s DNA even before we launched an N road car. From 2014 in the World Rally Championship, then from 2018 in world TCR, we have been competing and winning at the highest levels.

“Our new project with HMO and Josh Buchan in Australia is an exciting new chapter in our high-performance story. We wish him well.”  

Josh Buchan said: “The car looks amazing with its striking new livery and I’m very proud to have the support of Hyundai Australia for the 2023 TCR Australia Championship.

“There is no doubt we have lifted the bar in terms of presentation this year, and now it is up to me and the team to elevate the Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR to the position it deserves – at the front of the pack.”

Buchan finished third in the 2022 TCR Australia Championship standings with consistent front-running results, including six podium appearances with one race victory and pole position. He played a crucial role in HMO Customer Racing winning the 2022 TCR Australia Teams’ Championship.

Having christened the new-generation Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR with a podium finish in least year’s final round at Mount Panorama, Buchan believes he has the car to beat in 2023.

Similarly, Sweeny is confident of stepping-up to be a championship contender in his sophomore season.

The 20-year-old from Batemans Bay on NSW’s south coast was the standout rookie in 2022 with five podium finishes including two victories on the daunting Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst. He finished fifth in the championship standings.

Car 30: i30 Sedan N TCR – Josh Buchan

“I’m excited to get back in the Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR and begin my title assault at Symmons Plains this weekend, a circuit that has been good for the team in the past.

“It was hugely beneficial for us to run the new car at Bathurst last year and get an understanding of its strengths and weaknesses in race conditions, and I feel confident we have the right ingredients to win in 2023.

“It has always been a dream of mine to compete in a world championship, which will be fulfilled this year with two rounds of the new TCR World Tour in Australia. It will be very special to race against the world’s best touring car drivers on our home turf. And hopefully we can do enough throughout the year to be among the Top 30 in the World Rankings and be invited to the World Tour Final at the end of the season.”

Car 130: i30 N TCR – Bailey Sweeny

“I can’t wait to get back to racing this weekend at Symmons Plains after a long summer break. With my first season behind me, I can take off the training wheels and it’s time to throw out the rookie badge.

“I learnt a lot last year and am proud of the progress I made, particularly in the second half of the season. I left Tassie last year in last place on the championship table and came back to finish the season in fifth overall. So, I would be disappointed if I’m not in the fight for the championship right from the start.”

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