THERE will be an American flavour to next month’s Bathurst International, with Robert Noaker joining the National Trans Am grid.
Just as he did last year, Noaker will team up with Dream Racing Australia at Bathurst – but this time it will be a two-round campaign also taking in Race Sydney the weekend before (November 3-4).
The 19-year-old will race an ex-Tim Shaw Chevrolet Camaro boasting a fresh engine.
Noaker has this year raced in both the US Trans Am Series – against Australian ace Nathan Herne – and the Mazda MX-5 Cup.
“It’s really great to come back to Australia with Dream Racing Australia, especially to do two rounds of the National Trans Am Series at Sydney Motorsport Park and Bathurst,” said Noaker.
“I can’t thank Dream Racing Australia enough for the opportunity to come back a second year in a row.”
His first chance came about via an email sent out by the US Trans Am Series and turned into a whirlwind rush to make it to Mount Panorama.
“I’m looking forward to having a second crack at Bathurst and I will be a lot better prepared than last year, which was a very last-minute deal,” he said.
“I’ve done three rounds so far of the Trans Am Series at home. We were running around fifth place at Watkins Glen until a flat tyre and mechanical took us out after we were running with Nathan Herne.
“Coming back over to Australia, the main thing is I just want to have fun and not sweat on something going wrong.
“It’s motor racing, something is always bound to go awry one or another, it’s just part of it. As a racing driver, you always want to be running up the front and for Sydney I’d like to be doing that.
“For Bathurst, it’s a tough circuit and I’ll just pick up from where I left off last year.”
Dream Racing Australia owner Craig Scutella labelled Noaker “an incredible kid”.
“Robert on his home tracks has done an incredible job and at Bathurst in changeable conditions did sensationally well before a tailshaft took him out of the final race with one lap remaining,” said Scutella.
“Given that experience and the knowledge of Bathurst, I think Robert could sneak a podium.”
There already has been nine different nationalities of drivers confirmed for TCR action at the Bathurst International: Sweden, Uruguay, China, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Spain, Hungary and Argentina. There is already a Brit on the Australian grid, namely Tom Oliphant.
There will also be a New Zealand presence in Touring Car Masters.
