Fourth Hyundai set for TCR Australia

A fourth Hyundai i30 N TCR is set to contest the inaugural TCR Australia season after GWR Australia, in partnership with Platinum Motorsport, announced plans to contest all seven rounds of the 2019 campaign.

The team headed by former racer Garth Walden will run the car from its Sydney workshop and could add a second Hyundai depending on interest and feedback from potential drivers.

The GWR car will be the fourth Hyundai i30 N to arrive in Australia through HMO Customer Racing, who have already secured three cars of their own.

The next two i30 Ns – the second and third cars for HMO – will arrive in Australia in January, while the GWR car is set to arrive in early February.

“We’ve ordered the car, we have specified what we want and we will be ready to go for 2019,” Walden said. “The aim is to have the car heading to us via sea freight this year, which would mean we’d have the car by February.

“We’re committed to all seven rounds. Who will drive it is yet too be confirmed, so we might lease it to one driver for the whole season or have multiple drivers in it over the course of the year.

“We have only confirmed one car at this point, but the aim will to definitely run multiple cars. Now that word is getting out that we are getting into TCR Australia, the interest has been really strong. We’d hope to start the season with two cars, but we’re certainly starting with one.

“After the media day last month, it was clear to us that this was a category that our team needed to be involved in. The input and interest from everyone has been really high. There were lots of drivers and teams there, and after driving the car, I think its going to be a really great category.

“I got the chance to drive the Hyundai, and it was a great experience. The grip level is high, brake level high, they look cool too. You only have to look at the success of the championships around the world to know that this is going to be really well suited to Australian motorsport.”