TOM Oliphant and Ashley Seward Motorsport have completed the first Australian laps for the Lynk & Co 03 TCR model.
The British Touring Car Championship race-winning driver cut laps in the car at a Phillip Island test today ahead of its TCR Australia racing debut next month at the same location.
“It feels awesome,” said Oliphant.
“The differences between this compared to the Alfa Romeo are night and day.
“It is a proper race car, they’ve clearly spent a lot of time and money developing it.
“It is really responsive and you can feel everything the car is going to do.
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“The way I’m describing it to the engineers is instead of reacting to what’s going on like in the Alfa, I’m more predicting what’s going to happen driving the Lynk & Co.
“It’s all really positive at the moment, we haven’t really changed anything with the car, we’re just trying to get used to it.”
Having enjoyed a solid outing in the Alfa at the Symmons Plains season-opener, Oliphant is hoping ASM’s recently acquired ex-Cyan Racing car can help propel him forward.
“The Audis will be quick again at Phillip Island with its long, sweeping corners, which I imagine will favour a long wheelbase car,” he said.
“I’ve got a piece of machinery underneath me now that I can really compete with.
“I’ve got a car now that I can use every tool at its disposal and I feel really, really confident I can race with the frontrunners.”
Bailey Sweeny leads the 2023 standings ahead of Tony D’Alberto, Aaron Cameron, Jordan Cox and Oliphant.
