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HMO Customer Racing On Top at Phillip Island

HMO CUSTOMER RACING ON TOP AT PHILLIP ISLAND  

HMO Customer Racing has backed up their emphatic start to the TCR Australia Series after Will Brown finished on the podium 3 times at Phillip Island, including a Race win, with his teammate Nathan Morcom claiming his maiden TCR Australia Series podium.

Qualifying – Will Brown P2, Nathan Morcom P8

After struggling with straight-line speed throughout Practice 1 and 2, Brown and Morcom shrugged off the issue when new tyres were placed on their Cars for the 30-minute Qualifying period.

Brown set the pace early sending the #30 i30 N TCR Car into P2, with Morcom still finding his balance during the opening laps of the session.

Brown would eventually move into P1 but was overrun by O’Keeffe in the dying seconds of the session and finished in P2.

Morcom was set for a P4 time before running wide in Sector 3 on his last lap, with a P8 finish the best he could salvage.

Race 1 – Will Brown P2, Nathan Morcom DNF

It was a troubling start for both Cars in Race 1. Brown ran wide into the gravel at Turn 2 in the opening lap, sending him to the back of the field as a result.

At the same run into Turn 2, Morcom was hit by a spinning Car which ended his day after breaking an upright in the #11 Car and brought the safety car onto the track.

After the restart, Brown managed to quickly move through the field as he looked to regain lost positions and climbed into P7 before another incident on track between Bright and Heimgartner.

The safety car was called out again with Brown lined up for podium contention as the field re-gathered under the yellow flag.

Brown made the most of the re-start as he powered to P3 by Lap 11 and was able to move past Moffat at the Hayshed on the final Lap but was unable to catch O’Keeffe.

Despite not reaching the chequered flag first, Brown set the new Race Lap record with a 1:37.0827 around the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

Race 2 – Will Brown P2, Nathan Morcom P4

It was a clean start for the two HMO Customer Racing Cars in Race 2, with both drivers staying clear of the carnage into Turn 1 in the opening Lap.

Brown held his position off the start in P2, trying to match the pace of O’Keeffe in front while Morcom bolstered through the field, moving up 10 spots after the incident on Lap 1.

Brown moved into the lead for an instant after passing O’Keeffe into Turn 1 on Lap 2 but returned to his starting position after locking the brakes at Turn 4 during the same lap.

After not finishing Race 1, Morcom had fresh tyres at his disposal as he continued to motor past the competition out on the track, passing D’Alberto, Martin, and Pither on his way to a P4 finish. 

Brown tried to chase down O’Keeffe for the lead, but the Alfa Romeo was too far gone leaving Brown to claim another P2 finish.

Race 3 – Will Brown P1, Nathan Morcom P2

A 30-minute turn around between Race 2 and 3 had the team confident they could grab a victory after the pace shown by both Cars in Race 2. 

Brown and Morcom both escaped a chaotic opening lap in Race 3, with the pair leading the Race after a massive crash at Turn 1.

After a lengthy safety car in clearing the chaos, the Race resumed on Lap 7 with Brown bolting on the restart with teammate Morcom behind in P2.

The pair quickly started to distance themselves from the field as they looked to wrap up a one-two finish for the team.

Morcom tightened the gap towards the closing stages of the Race but it was Brown who would have the last say as he crossed the line to win Race 3 with Morcom in P2. 

Brown proved his class again by not missing a top-three finish over the weekend to hold onto his Series lead moving into Round 3. 

"A great weekend for the Team in which we thought would be a tough one. We struggled with straight-line speed a lot in Practice but thanks to our guys we were able to make the right changes to suit new tyres coming onto the Car for Qualifying and the Races. To get another Round win and put HMO Customer Racing at the top of the leaderboard is a great feeling heading into The Bend."
WILL BROWN
HMO CUSTOMER RACING DRIVER
"Super weekend at Phillip Island. Such a surreal feeling to finally get on the podium for the TCR Australia Series. A bit of a downer after not finishing Race 1 but it’s a credit to the team for straightening up the Car and giving me the opportunity to push towards the front for Race 2 and 3. I'm definitely starting to find my feet in this Series and I'm looking forward to building on this weekend moving into Round 3."
NATHAN MORCOM
HMO CUSTOMER RACING DRIVER
The HMO Customer Racing Team will now prepare for Round 3 of the TCR Australia Series, to be held on 12 – 14 July at The Bend Motorsport Park with all races to be televised LIVE and FREE on SBS HD.

TCR AUSTRALIA SERIES STANDINGS

1 – Will Brown, HMO Customer Racing – 244 points
2 – Dylan O’Keefe, Ashley Seward Motorsport – 192 points
3 – Tony D’Alberto, Wall Racing – 154 points
4 – Aaron Cameron, Melbourne Performance Centre – 153 points
5 – James Moffat, Garry Rogers Motorsport – 133 points
6 – Nathan Morcom, HMO Customer Racing – 131 points

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HMO Customer Racing Shine in TCR Australia Racing Debut

HMO CUSTOMER RACING SHINE IN TCR AUSTRALIA DEBUT

HMO Customer Racing has debuted at the TCR Australia Series in a big way after Will Brown won two out of three Races in the opening round at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Brown starred in the Hyundai i30 N TCR Car, climbing the podium three times to clinch the Series lead after Round 1, with his teammate Nathan Morcom improving as the weekend progressed.

Race 1 – Will Brown P3, Nathan Morcom P9

Qualifying for Race 1 was competitive for Morcom and Brown, both running in the top 3 in the early stages of the 30-minute session.

As qualifying moved into the last 5 minutes, a yellow flag halted hot laps for both Morcom and Brown, meaning the pair would have to settle for their earlier lap times after the track failed to offer after the yellow flag. Brown would start in P4 and Morcom in P7 for Race 1.

In Race 1, Brown moved on the outside of O’Keefe into the first corner of Lap 1, quickly turning his attention to D’Alberto in P2. 

For the majority of the Race, Brown stuck closely to D’Alberto’s tail however he was unable to get past the Honda Driver.

Morcom showed his poise just as well in the opening Race, moving up into P5 by Lap 8.

Morcom looked strong as he pushed through the pack until his tyres started to wear towards the latter part of the Race. Morcom lost spots as a result and moved back to finish P8.  

An incident from earlier in Race meant Morcom would move to P9 after a 5-second penalty.

Race 2 – Will Brown P1, Nathan Morcom P8

The starting line-up for Race 2 was a progressive grid, meaning Brown would start from P3 and Morcom from P9. 

Brown was quick to engage again, securing P2 on the opening lap as Morcom got caught up in a mid-pack scrabble losing a place into Turn 1.

Brown’s car pace proved to be a real threat on track, passing D’Alberto on Lap 3 to move into P2. 

The fast-starting O’Keefe was next on Brown’s list, as he pressed the #30 Hyundai i30 N TCR Car forward, eventually to move into the lead down at Turn 7 on Lap 14.

Morcom fought back through the Race from P10, contesting hard with Almond and Cameron to reach P7, before losing a spot on the last lap.

After passing O’Keefe, Brown powered ahead to secure his maiden TCR Australia Series win.

Race 3 – Will Brown P1, Nathan Morcom P11

After his impressive win in Race 2, Brown was slow off the start line from P1, moving back two places throughout the opening turns. Meanwhile, Morcom passed Almond on his way to P7 in the first lap.

In what was a frantic start to Race 3, the safety car was out early after Breukers and Vernon crashed in separate incidents during the opening lap.

The race was restarted on Lap 5, with both Hyundai i30 N TCR Cars eager to move towards the front.

After Heimgartner in P1 wavered with mechanical issues, Brown picked off O’Keefe for the second time in the day to move into the lead with 8 laps remaining.

Morcom cracked the whip as he moved the #11 Car into P4, setting the quickest lap of the Race in a bid to climb into P3.

Brown extended his margin as he surged towards the chequered flag, crossing the line to claim back-to-back wins on Sunday.

Morcom crossed the line in P4 but was issued with three penalties totaling sixty seconds demoting him to P11.

"It was a great first round at SMP. We had some intense and exciting battles over the weekend of racing. To take two wins out of the three races is incredible, I can't thank the team enough for all their hard work."
WILL BROWN
HMO CUSTOMER RACING DRIVER
We showed good signs over the weekend besides the mixed results. I've defintely got the Car to challenge up the front, it just needs to be tightened up in a few areas before we take on Phillip Island for Round 2.
NATHAN MORCOM
HMO CUSTOMER RACING DRIVER
"It’s been a great weekend for HMO Customer Racing in the first outing of the TCR Australia Series. We’ve had some very strong results, which will provide a solid foundation for our team to build on. To win two out of the three Races is a huge effort by the HMO Team, especially Will for his efforts on track. There’s still some work to be done; we struggled with tyre degradation throughout the weekend as most teams did. It will be interesting to see what we learn after this Round that we can take onto Phillip Island."
BARRY MORCOM
HMO CUSTOMER RACING TEAM OWNER
The HMO Customer Racing Team will now prepare for Round 2 of the TCR Australia Series, to be held on 6 – 9 June at Phillip Island with all races to be televised LIVE and FREE on SBS HD.

TCR AUSTRALIA SERIES STANDINGS

1 – Will Brown, HMO Customer Racing – 122 points
2 – Dylan O’Keefe, Ashley Seward Motorsport – 110 points
3 – Tony D’Alberto, Wall Racing – 101 points
4 – Jason Bright, Team Tradie – 97 points
5 – Aaron Cameron, Melbourne Performance Centre –  points
7 – Nathan Morcom, HMO Customer Racing – 131 points

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HMO Customer Racing becomes Official Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Agent in Australia

HMO CUSTOMER RACING BECOMES OFFICIAL HYUNDAI MOTORSPORT CUSTOMER RACING AGENT IN AUSTRALIA

Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing has confirmed that HMO Customer Racing will be their official agent in Australia.

Barry Morcom (left)

The partnership means that HMO Customer Racing will deliver new car sales, as well as provide technical support and spare parts to any team racing a Hyundai i30 N TCR Car across Australia.

Based in Germany, Hyundai Motorsport is a powerhouse global motorsport team who compete in the World Rally Championship, as well as build cars for customers teams in both rally and race series through the Customer Racing department.

Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing’s presence in the inaugural TCR Australia series will be another important pillar in building the foundations of the newly formed HMO Customer Racing Team.

Owner of HMO Customer Racing, Barry Morcom, is ecstatic about the partnership.

“It’s really exciting to be the official Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Agent in Australia. Their backing is huge for the development of the team, and we look forward to making strong progress throughout this series and in the many years to come. A deal was reached in September last year to purchase a few cars from Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing because of the opportunity I saw of a TCR Series here in Australia. They implemented a plan for us to achieve to show not only that we could run a Hyundai i30 N TCR based team but also provide technical support and service to Hyundai TCR Cars in Australia. We’ve shown that we’ve got the ability to do this through our work in the last couple of months and it’s great to get a deal signed off on the back of this. We definitely expect to put more Hyundai i30 N TCR Cars on the grid in Australia and maybe New Zealand if the opportunity arose in the years to come.”
Barry Morcom
HMO CUSTOMER RACING TEAM OWNER
Similarly, Andrew Johns, the Senior Sales Associate at Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing, is equally excited about the newly formed partnership.
“We are very pleased to have this agreement in place with HMO Customer Racing before the first races of the new TCR Australia series. Their role as agents in the region will ensure an excellent level of engineering support and an efficient supply of spares to Hyundai i30 N TCR teams all around the country to enable them to challenge for victories wherever they race. It has been hugely enjoyable to see the interest in TCR Australia grow since the series was first announced. The TCR category provides extremely close racing, and I am sure that Australia will be no exception, especially with the quality of the cars and drivers involved even at this early stage. All of the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing will be watching on with interest for the first races of the year. We are sure that the combination of the i30 N TCR, and the support offered by HMO Customer Racing mean the Hyundai teams will be fighting at the front of the grid.”
Andrew Johns
HYUNDAI MOTORSPORT CUSTOMER RACING

The HMO Customer Racing Team is now preparing for Round 1 of the TCR Australia Series, to be held on 17 – 19 May at Sydney Motorsport Park with all races to be televised LIVE and FREE on SBS HD.

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Will Brown Joins HMO Customer Racing

Young Gun Will Brown joins
HMO Customer Racing for 2019 TCR Australia Series.

HMO Customer Racing is pleased to announce that Will Brown will drive their second Hyundai i30 N TCR Car in the 2019 TCR Australia Series.

Brown will join former Super2 Series teammate Nathan Morcom as he joins the Sydney based team for the inaugural season of the TCR Series on Australian soil.

The 21-year old is one of only five drivers to achieve two National Circuit Titles in Australia in the same year, after winning both the Australian Formula 4 Championship and Australian Toyota 86 Series in 2016.

Brown is a recipient of the 2017 Peter Brock Medal and Mike Kable Young Gun Award, awarded to the best first-year driver across the Supercar Championship and Super2 Series.

Alongside racing with HMO Customer Racing in 2019, Brown will also continue to drive in the Super2 Series and will co-drive with Anton De Pasquale from Erebus Motorsport in the Supercars Championship Endurance Cup.

Despite a busy racing calendar, the 21-year-old is looking forward to racing under the HMO Customer banner for the upcoming TCR Australia Series.

"Personally, I’m stoked to be on board with the HMO Customer Racing Team for 2019. I’ve been in discussion with Barry Morcom (Team Owner) for a little while now, so it’s great to finally get the deal over the line. It’s a great opportunity for me, the cars look really cool and the HMO Customer Team are all great people so it was a bit of no brainer in the end. It’s exciting to see a lot of cars on the grid for the inaugural series. There seems to be a lot of people interested in the category at the moment, which adds good hype rolling into Round 1."
WILL BROWN
HMO CUSTOMER RACING DRIVER

In what will be a first, Brown takes on the new challenge of guiding a Hyundai i30 N TCR Car throughout the seven-round Series.

"I'm definitely looking forward to driving the Hyundai in this year's series, the car looks pretty competitive overseas so it should be pretty capable of fighting up the front. The ultimate goal would be to win the Series. I've done a lot of production car racing like TCR so I'm confident I've got what it takes to run up the top end of the field."
WILL BROWN
HMO CUSTOMER RACING DRIVER

In what is building to be one of the most exciting motorsport events of 2019, the TCR Australia Series opener at Sydney Motorsport Park will be one very familiar to Brown.

"I'm pretty pumped for the first Round at Sydney Motorsport Park. I've done a lot of racing there, plus it's a great track so I'm looking forward to rolling out there in a few weeks time. I think it will be a great first event. There’ll be plenty of opportunities for passing around the track and with the subtle size of the cars, it'll make for super competitive racing down the straight. We’ll be looking for a top three finish at Sydney, but obviously there’s work to be done between now and then to get us in that position."
WILL BROWN
HMO CUSTOMER RACING DRIVER

Brown will now prepare for Testing at Winton on May 6, before lining up on the grid for Round 1 at Sydney Motorsport Park, to be held on 17 – 19 May with the races to be televised LIVE and FREE on SBS HD.

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Nathan Morcom Joins HMO Customer Racing

NATHAN MORCOM JOINS HMO CUSTOMER RACING
FOR 2019 TCR AUSTRALIA SERIES

HMO Customer Racing is pleased to announce that Nathan Morcom will drive one of the two Hyundai i30 N TCR entries in the 2019 TCR Australia Series.

Morcom will become an inaugural part of Australian Motorsport history as he suits up for the first season of the internationally recognized TCR Championship on Australian soil.

Morcom brings with him a wealth of racing experience to the HMO Customer Team, with starts in the Dunlop Super2 Series with Eggleston Motorsport in 2018 and 2017, as well as an Australian Endurance Championship and a third place finish in the Australian GT Championship in 2016.

In the same year, Morcom was also the World Time Attack Winner and took out the Bathurst 6 Hour alongside Supercars driver Chaz Mostert.

Morcom has also taken part in GT races across Europe and Asia, as well as racing in Formula Ford in Australia and the US, Australian Formula 3 and New Zealand’s Toyota Racing Series.

"I’m really looking forward to driving the Hyundai i30 N TCR for HMO Customer Racing in 2019. It’s a great feeling to be part of the first outfit to race in the all new TCR Series here in Australia, the team is looking really good. It’s great to have the two cars here in Australia already, it provides a great platform for our engineers to prepare the cars properly leading into Round 1. The team is definitely looking forward to seeing how far we can push the Hyundai i30N in the season opener in May."
NATHAN MORCOM
HMO CUSTOMER RACING DRIVER

Despite no official announcement on securing the drive for 2019, Morcom has been active throughout the past two months in the Hyundai i30 N TCR Car, with a special guest appearance in the Ultimate Speed Comparison at the Australian Grand Prix as well as recent testing at Sydney Motorsport Park.

"The Practice Session went well at Sydney Motorsport Park, it provided further insight into the habits of the car, and it was pleasing to see what we put in place was running nicely within the Hyundai set up."
NATHAN MORCOM
HMO CUSTOMER RACING DRIVER

With five weeks to go until the inaugural start of the 2019 Touring Car Racing Championship, Australia, Morcom will now turn his attention to Testing at Winton on 30 April, before lining up on the grid for Round 1 at Sydney Motorsport Park, to be held on 17 – 19 May with the races to be televised LIVE and FREE on SBS HD.

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HMO debut at AusGP

The TCR Australia Series is pleased to confirm that it will make its official track debut at the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix this week.

In a special guest appearance, one of HMO Customer Racing’s Hyundai i30 N TCR car will compete in the popular Ultimate Speed Comparison.

With the assistant of the handicapper’s stopwatch, the TCR machine will race alongside its road-going i30 N variant and the V10 Cosworth-powered Minardi two-seater F1 car.

The Hyundai TCR car will be driven by Nathan Morcom, while Hyundai test pilot and international rally driver Brendan Reeves will drive the road-going i30.

This event will mark the first official competition for a TCR Series car in Australia ahead of its opening round of the 2019 series at Sydney Motorsport Park on May 17-19.

The Ultimate Speed Comparison will be held four times over the Australian Grand Prix weekend. See below for dates and times of the competition.

A high quality and variety of racing categories are a feature of the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix, so we are delighted to extend this further in the MSS Security Ultimate Speed Comparison with the involvement of Hyundai and TCR Australia. TCR is an exciting, global touring car formula coming to Australia in 2019, and we are pleased that our fans will have an Australian-first chance to see a TCR car in action at Albert Park. Lining up road and race versions of the Hyundai i30N alongside the Minardi F1 Two-Seater will make for an entertaining and visual demonstration of speed differences, which is what the MSS Security Ultimate Speed Comparison is all about.

Craig Fletcher - Motorsport, Entertainment & Industry, AusGP

It’s fantastic to have the Hyundai TCR car on track and on display at Australia’s biggest motorsport event, the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix, The speed comparison will be the first ‘competition’ event for a TCR car in Australia, so it’s a great opportunity for the big crowds to see, hear and feel the latest touring car category that is coming to our country. I believe that most people who have never seen or heard a TCR car will be genuinely surprised with their speed and sound. We are all really looking forward to seeing the Hyundai on track, racing against its road-going cousin and the two-seat F1 car.

Matt Braid - Director, Australian Racing Group