THE return of a Holden Commodore looms as a wildcard in the pack for the Touring Car Masters title decider at the VALO Adelaide 500.
Gerard McLeod’s Motorsport Parts Australia entry will join the field for just the second time this season, having last appeared at Sydney Motorsport Park in May.
The first and so far only Commodore built to TCM rules, the car debuted in Adelaide in 2020 but has only been campaigned infrequently since.
“When it was announced that we would be going back to Adelaide it was a no brainer to dust off the Commodore and compete in TCM again,” McLeod said.
“This year being the last year of Holden in Supercars at Adelaide it seems to have even more significance to be on the grid.
“The tight Adelaide streets should suit the nimble Commodore perfectly and highlight the car’s qualities, so we are looking for a great result.
“In 2020 the car was still being built at the circuit so we are back for redemption this year in what will the cars first real competitive run at a street circuit.”
Another potential front-runner is South Australian Michael Almond, who returns to the wheel of the Whiteline Racing Chevrolet Camaro for his home event.
That car has been driven by Adam Bressington since Almond’s heavy crash in Townsville that also wiped out Cameron Tilley’s Valiant Pacer.
Ryan Hansford leads fellow Holden Torana driver John Bowe by 78 points heading into the final round, with 200 on offer across the four races.
Camaro runner George Miedecke sits 158 points from the lead while Andrew Fisher (Torana) remains a mathematical chance, 181 points behind Hansford in fourth.
All the key contenders are entered for Adelaide, including Steven Johnson in the Ford Mustang with which he dominated the last round at Bathurst.
The Invitational Class will include the first appearance for a BMW in TCM; local Jason Palmer entering the E30 he’s previously campaigned in Improved Production.
Invitational Class entries are ineligible for points.
The Touring Car Masters field takes to the streets of Adelaide on Thursday, 1 December for Practice and Qualifying ahead of four races across the weekend.
All four races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo.
