STORY: WILL DALE
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THE entry list for the TCR Australia Series is almost complete ahead of this weekend’s opening round at Sydney Motorsport Park.
At least 16 cars will be on the grid for the category’s first event, with Michael Almond confirmed as piloting a GWR Australia Hyundai i30 N TCR for the Sydney round.
The Porsche Carrera Cup, V8 Utes and Touring Car Masters racer will be the team’s sole representative this weekend, with GWR Australia confirming its second Hyundai will remain in the garage.
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The field has filled rapidly with drivers as the inaugural event approached, with a class entry including a Bathurst 1000 winner, an Australian Rally Champion, and a current Supercars racer on the grid for the opening event.
Andre Heimgarter will lead Kelly Racing’s four-car attack, piloting one of the squad’s Subarus alongside 2016 ARC champion Molly Taylor.
Taylor is one of three female racers in the field, with Chelsea Angelo and Alexandra Whitley securing drives with Kelly Racing and Jason Bright’s Team Tradie respectively, with Angelo set to be partnered by Alex Rullo in the squad’s second Opel.
There will be plenty of drivers with Supercars experience on the grid, including several current Enduro Cup drivers.
Reigning Super2 Series champion Chris Pither and Tickford Racing co-driver James Moffat will race Garry Rogers Motorsport’s two Renaults, while young guns Jimmy Vernon and Dylan O’Keeffe will race its Alfa Romeos.
Tony D’Alberto will pilot one of Wall Racing’s Hondas, where he will be joined by sports car star John Martin, while recent Super2 race winner Will Brown will join former teammate Nathan Morcom aboard HMO Customer Racing’s two Hyundais.
Dutch GT racer Rik Breukers will race the Melbourne Performance Centre’s Audi, while the team’s plans for its Volkswagen have yet to be confirmed.
The series also revealed that the highly-experienced Alex Davison will serve as TCR Australia’s Driving Standards Observer for the 2019 season.
The seven-round championship gets underway at the Sydney Motorsport Park round of the CAMS Shannons Nationals on May 17-19.
2019 TCR AUSTRALIA ENTRY LIST SO FAR
Wall Racing
#24 John Martin (Honda)
#50 Tony D’Alberto (Honda)
Garry Rogers Motorsport
#7 Jimmy Vernon (Alfa Romeo)
#9 Dylan O’Keeffe (Alfa Romeo)
#33 Chris Pither (Renault)
#34 James Moffat (Renault)
Team Tradie
#8 Jason Bright (Volkswagen)
#35 Alexandra Whitley (Volkswagen)
HMO Customer Racing
#11 Nathan Morcom (Hyundai)
#30 Will Brown (Hyundai)
Kelly Racing
#6 Molly Taylor (Subaru)
#37 Chelsea Angelo (Opel)
#62 Alex Rullo (Opel)
#777 Andre Heimgartner (Subaru)
GWR Australia
#29 Michael Almond (Hyundai)
Melbourne Performance Centre
#22 Rik Breukers (Audi)
TBA (Volkswagen)
