HMO Customer Racing Hyundai TCR driver Bailey Sweeny has stunned the field in qualifying - at one stage leading the pack and on pole position with only 2 minutes to go - during Round 1 of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia series at Symmons Plains in Tasmania.
In what was the closest and most ferociously contested qualifying sessions ever in Supercheap Auto TCR Australia, it was Sweeny’s team mate, the Hyundai i30N TCR driven by Nathan Morcom who scored pole position for this afternoon’s season opener.
Eventualy, Sweeny would be relegated to the 4th row - by a mere 0.3 of a second - but the run was a stunning performance - on debut - at the track, in a new car and in a new team.
Bailey Sweeny is seen in his Hyundai TCR car at Symmons Plains - PIC BY: REDBEARDPHOTOMEDIA
story via TCR Australia
In what was the closest and most ferociously contested qualifying sessions ever in Supercheap Auto TCR Australia, it was the Hyundai i30N TCR driven by Nathan Morcom scoring pole position for this afternoon’s season opener.
Morcom set a 55.2931s to edge AWC MPC Racing driver Jay Hanson in the new latest specification Audi RS3 LMS TCR by 0.0128s as the entire top 10 were all within one second.
Will Brown led the first segment of qualifying, but will start third in the MPC Team LIQUI MOLY Audi RS3 LMS TCR alongside Morcom’s HMO Customer Racing teammate Josh Buchan, who scored a debut podium in last year’s opening event.
Superb practice pace translated into qualifying for Honda privateer Zac Soutar as he qualified fifth, while a last lap lock up prevented the LMCT+ Renault Megane R.S. TCR of James Moffat from improving and will start sixth.
In a change of fortunes compared to last year, Honda-supported Tony D’Alberto was just 0.3187s behind Morcom’s pace in the Wall Racing Honda Civic Type R TCR to be seventh from impressive debutant Bailey Sweeny, who made it three HMO Customer Racing Hyundais in the 10 to be seventh.
A last gasp lap enabled Valvoline Racing GRM’s Aaron Cameron to make the second qualifying segment, but starts ninth alongside fellow Peugeot 308 TCR driver Jordan Cox on the final row.
Supercheap Auto TCR Australia race winner Dylan O’Keeffe was pushed out late in his first Peugeot qualifying session and starts 11th, while right behind is Fabian Coulthard in the Stan Sport Wall Racing Honda Civic Type R.
Ashley Seward Motorsport driver Michael Caruso was troubled with a power steering fault and was unable to set a time in the Autoglym Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR.
The opening race of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia season occurs at 4:25pm AEDT on Stan Sport and 9Gem.