story via TCR Australia
Two-time race winner and last year’s Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series Rookie of the Year Bailey Sweeny has confirmed he will contest the 2023 season with HMO Customer Racing.
Sweeny proved a revelation last year after scoring two wins and three podiums on the way to an impressive fifth in the standings.
Driving the third Hyundai i30 N TCR in 2022, Sweeny finished on the podium in his weekend at AWC Race Tasmania before taking a dominant maiden victory at Mount Panorama where Supercheap Auto TCR Australia acted as support to the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour.
Bailey Sweeny
Another win followed at the same venue in November at the inaugural Supercheap Auto Bathurst International where Sweeny also secured second in the season finale to lock away fifth in the title, beating the likes of fellow young gun Zac Soutar, experienced teammate Nathan Morcom and Garry Rogers Motorsport driver Aaron Cameron.
Familiarity is key to Sweeny’s title tilt as he will once again race a Hyundai i30 N TCR with the same team as in 2022 ensuring he will be a driver to watch this season.
Also on Sweeny’s mind is the TCR World Tour, which is set to join the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series grids at the final two rounds of the season as he endeavours to race in the class overseas.
Sweeny will form an exciting field for the opening round of Supercheap Auto TCR Australia starting for the third time at AWC Race Tasmania on February 24-26.
Stan Sport will provide live, uninterrupted and on-demand coverage of all SpeedSeries rounds. AWC Race Tasmania will also feature free-to-air broadcasting on the Nine Network’s digital channels on Saturday afternoon from 2-5pm (February 25).
QUOTES
Bailey Sweeny
HMO Customer Racing, Hyundai i30 N TCR
“It’s good to be committed to the TCR Australia after a successful first year, I definitely wanted to be back in 2023,” said Sweeny.
“To be back in the category and at HMO Customer Racing is pretty cool. The title is the goal, last year was about learning everything from tracks to the car, I hadn’t been to most venues on the TCR calendar, but I think at each round I was getting more familiar with the Hyundai and my results progressed as the season continued.
“The i30 TCR is still a quick package as proven last year when set-up and driven well, it is a consistent frontrunner.
“My ultimate goal is to be racing TCR overseas, so to have the TCR World Tour come to Australia putting us on the big stage against the best teams and drivers is the best platform for me to do that.”