MOUNT PANORAMA, BATHURST: HMO Customer Racing will unleash its latest-generation Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR at Bathurst this weekend in a bid to claim its second TCR Australia championship.
Josh Buchan will switch from his i30 N TCR hatchback to debut the all-new four-door sedan racer in the Bathurst International at Mount Panorama.
Buchan enters the final round of the 2022 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Championship in fourth position, 83 points behind the series leader. With 50 per cent more points on offer in each of the three, 50-minute ‘endurance’ races this weekend, Buchan remains one of six drivers in genuine title contention.
HMO Customer Racing heads to Bathurst with strong form, as Buchan and teammate Bailey Sweeny both scored double podium finishes in the third round of the 2022 Super Series earlier this year, which included Sweeny’s breakthrough maiden TCR victory. The rookie sensation also holds the current TCR lap record at Mount Panorama.
Nathan Morcom, in the #11 Hyundai i30 N TCR, is hoping to play his own role in Buchan’s championship aspirations at the front of the field, having the experienced Aaron Grech as his dedicated race engineer for the first time at Bathurst.
The iconic Mount Panorama circuit is one of the world’s most challenging racetracks with its blend of long, fast straights with heavy braking zones mixed with the section of high-speed flowing undulations across the top of the mountain.
HMO Customer Racing claimed the inaugural TCR Australia Championship in 2019 with Will Brown.
What the drivers said:
Car 11 – Nathan Morcom
“We had a test day at Winton a couple of weeks ago and tried some new ideas on the Hyundai i30 N TCR with my engineer Aaron Grech that felt really good. I didn’t have a dedicated engineer on my car at Bathurst earlier this year, so I’m feeling confident we can run at the pointy end this weekend and finish off the season on a high. I just want to have a red hot go and I’m aiming for the podium and wins at Bathurst.”
Car 30 – Josh Buchan
“There is a lot of excitement and anticipation with the debut of the new Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR this weekend. We think the car has the potential to be a very fast car at Mount Panorama, but Bathurst is such a unique circuit, and we need to learn quickly how to unlock its potential. The championship is still alive and there is a lot to be gained if everything goes right for us and take away a trophy or two. But, if anything, it is a great opportunity to get a head start on the championship for 2023.”
Car 130 – Bailey Sweeny
“I can’t wait to get back in the car this weekend at Bathurst and hopefully repeat the success we had earlier this year. Obviously, the conditions will be a lot different compared to the cooler weather when we competed here in April, and the races are significantly longer. But I think both of those elements will play into our hands, as the Hyundai i30 N TCR is very good on its tyres and we should be faster than our rivals at the end of the race.”
BATHURST INTERNATIONAL – TRACK SCHEDULE
| FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11 | SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12 | SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13 |
| PRACTICE 1: 10:15AM | QUALIFYING: 8:50AM | RACE 2: 9:25AM |
| PRACTICE 2: 4:05PM | RACE 1: 4:00PM | RACE 3: 3:50PM |
Mount Panorama: Track Facts
Location: Bathurst, NSW
Length: 6.213km
TCR Pole Record: 2:12.7676, Aaron Cameron – 2022
TCR Lap Record: 2:13.9023, Bailey Sweeny – 2022
2022 SUPERCHEAP AUTO TCR AUSTRALIA CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS – after Round 6, Sandown Raceway
| 1. | Tony D’Alberto | Honda Civic Type R | 648 |
| 2. | Jordan Cox | Peugeot 308 TCR | 602 |
| 3. | Will Brown | Audi RS3 LMS | 581 |
| 4. | Josh Buchan | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 565 |
| 4. | Zac Soutar | Honda Civic Type R | 565 |
| 6. | Jay Hanson | Audi RS3 LMS | 533 |
| 7. | Dylan O’Keefe | Peugeot 308 TCR | 506 |
| 8. | Ben Bargwanna | Peugeot 308 TCR | 481 |
| 9. | Nathan Morcom | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 471 |
| 10. | Bailey Sweeny | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 466 |