Clay Richards calls time on TCR Australia programme

Clay Richards will not be part of the TCR Australia field for the fifth round of the campaign at Queensland Raceway after electing to pause his entry into the series ‘for the foreseeable future’.

Having previously contested selected events with Melbourne Performance Centre and Garry Rogers Motorsport, Richards was embarking on his first full season of TCR Australia competition this year in a Cupra León Competición TCR being run by MPC under the Carl Cox Motorsport banner.

Richards had scored a brace of second place finishes in the car to sit seventh in the standings but has now taken the decision to step away from the series amidst talk of budget issues.

“With the fifth round of TCR Australia just around the corner in Queensland unfortunately we won’t be making the trip up in the mighty Cupra and for the foreseeable future,” he wrote on social media.

“That being said, I wanted to say a massive thank you to the people who made it all happen. Carl Cox and Carl Cox Motorsport for lending me the keys to this awesome car and one of the most exciting cars I’ve driven. Troy, Lee, Wayne, Cliffy and the rest of the team at Melbourne Performance Centre for all their help and support throughout this season.

“To say I’ve had a ball in TCR Australia would be an understatement the racing is awesome, the competition is some of the toughest in Australia and in this part of the world and the cars are so much fun to drive.”

With Richards turning his focus to the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia GR Cup.

With Iain McDougall also not present for the Queensland event, a field of 13 cars is set to contest the latest meeting of the campaign, with Zac Soutar currently leading the way in the standings at the wheel of his Audi following a strong weekend at The Bend that saw him score two wins.

That leaves him clear of reigning champion Josh Buchan after the Hyundai racer also scored a win at The Bend, with the HMO Motorsport driver hoping for further success at the wheel of the Elantra N TCR.

Team-mate Tom Oliphant is one of two people who will take grid penalties into the weekend, with a five place drop awaiting both him and Jordan Cox for engine changes.

Ben Stewart is the only new name at the wheel of the returning 99motorsport Audi that hasn’t been seen since the Sandown season opener.