Hyundai looking to continue TCR Australia winning streak at Queensland Raceway.
- Hyundai drivers Bailey Sweeny and Josh Buchan placed first and second in the 2023 TCR Australia Driver’s Championship.
- HMO Customer Racing has won five of the nine races held so far this season.
- Productive pre-event test session at Queensland Raceway for HMO Customer Racing provided vital set-up information.
Hyundai is hoping to maintain its winning form in the TCR Australia Championship, and breakthrough for its first victory at Queensland Raceway, during this weekend’s fourth round of the series.
HMO Customer Racing has dominated the opening rounds of the 2023 TCR Australia Championship with Bailey Sweeny and Josh Buchan currently occupying the top two positions in the drivers’ championship, having won five of the nine races held so far.
The team faces a tough challenge at Queensland Raceway this weekend having never finished higher than fourth on the demanding 3.13km circuit.
However, a productive pre-event test session last week has provided the team with critical set-up information, and allowed both drivers to fine-tune their machines, at a circuit where thousands of a second will likely make the difference in qualifying.
With only six corners, Queensland Raceway places huge emphasis on braking performance, traction and straight-line speed, all of which will be compromised by the weight penalties carried by Sweeny and Buchan as a result of their qualifying success at the previous round (Winton Motor Raceway).
Sweeny has the best form at HMO Customer Racing heading into the weekend having scored two top-five finishes at Queensland Raceway in his rookie season last year.
HMO Customer Racing will have two 30-minute practice sessions on Friday to fine tune the cars ahead of qualifying on Saturday before three races over the remainder of the weekend.
Fans can catch all the action from Queensland Raceway and the Motorsport Australia Shannons Speed Series live and on-demand via Stan Sport.
Car 30: i30 Sedan N TCR - Josh Buchan
“Historically, Queensland Raceway has been a bit of a bogey track for us at HMO Customer Racing. We got ambushed there last year on my side of the garage with a failure in first practice and then rain in the second practice, so I went into qualifying completely blind. And then I got my pants pulled down a bit.”
“But we don’t have any excuses this year in terms of preparation. The test was extremely productive in getting a head start on the weekend, and we’ll take what we’ve learned and hit the ground running.
“It’s not going be an easy weekend with the success ballast we’re carrying in the Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR, but I’ve got the best team around me and if I can just chip away at it and stay out of trouble then I’m positive we’ll have a great result.”
Car 130: i30 N TCR - Bailey Sweeny
“We had good speed at Queensland Raceway last year with a couple of top five results, and a good fightback from being turned around in the other race. So, I’m looking forward to improving on those results this weekend and maintain my position at the top of the championship as we head into the second half of the season.
“We had a really positive test day there which we highlighted some areas of the car we had to improve, which is really beneficial to understand before this weekend.
“I like Queensland Raceway as a circuit, and it always produces great action for the fans who can see the whole track from wherever they are watching. The big braking zones really suit my driving style, so hopefully we can put on a great show and come away with a podium, or two!”
| Josh Buchan | Bailey Sweeny | |
| Born | 22/01/1995 (28) | 07/02/2003 (20) |
| Car | Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR | Hyundai i30 N TCR |
| Number | 30 | 130 |
| TCR seasons competed | 2021, 2022, 2023 | 2022, 2023 |
| TCR Poles | 2 | 0 |
| TCR Podiums | 13 | 9 |
| TCR Wins | 5 | 5 |
| TCR World Ranking | 40 | 54 |
| Track Facts | |
| Location | Ipswich, Queensland |
| Length | 3.13 km |
| TCR Pole Record | 1:12.52 sec, Tony D’Alberto (Honda Civic Type R) - 2022 |
| TCR Lap Record | 1:13.90 sec, Jay Hanson (Audi RS3 LMS) - 2022 |
| Friday August 11 | Saturday August 12 | Sunday August 13 |
| Practice 1: 11:40am | Qualifying: 11:45am | Race 2: 12:45pm |
| Practice 2: 3:05pm | Race 1: 4:15pm | Race 3: 4:20pm |
| Position | Name | Car | Points |
| 1 | Bailey Sweeny | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 387 |
| 2 | Josh Buchan | Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR | 351 |
| 3 | Jordan Cox | Peugeot 308 TCR | 326 |
| 4 | Aaron Cameron | Peugeot 308 TCR | 307 |
| 5 | Lachlan Minneef | Audi RS3 LMS | 302 |
| 6 | Ben Bargwanna | Peugeot 308 R | 288 |
| 7 | Tony D’Alberto | Honda Civic Type R | 280 |
| 8 | Michael Clemente | Cupra Leon TCR | 274 |
| 9 | Tom Oliphant | Alfa Romeo Giulietta | 268 |
| 10 | Kody Garland | Peugeot 308 TCR | 264 |
Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR
The Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR (known as the Elantra N TCR in Europe and North America) is the latest generation touring car developed by Hyundai Motorsport’s Customer Racing division.
Revealed for the first time at the Beijing Motor Show in 2020 as a replacement for the successful i30 N TCR and Veloster N TCR models, it quickly established itself as a championship winner when Sebastien Loeb Racing won the 2021 TCR Europe title with Spanish driver Mikel Azcona.
Last year, Hyundai Motorsport clinched its third drivers’ title and second teams’ championship in the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) with Azcona and BRC Hyundai Squadra Corsa, as well as a clean sweep of the TCR category in the North American IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with Bryan Herta Autosport claiming the drivers’, teams’ and manufacturers’ titles and a double title victory for Niels Langeveld and Target Competition in the ultra-competitive TCR Italy regional championship.
The Hyundai Elantra N currently leads the 2023 TCR World Tour with former champions Norbert MIchelisz and Michel Azcona first and second in the drivers’ championship standings and BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse on top of the team’s rankings.
Based on the road-going i30 Sedan N, the TCR variant maintains strong links between the Hyundai Motorsport vehicles that racing fans see on track and the standard production cars they drive and in showrooms.
In line with TCR regulations, the i30 Sedan N TCR is front-wheel drive and powered by a 2.0-litre turbo charged four-cylinder engine built specifically by Hyundai Motorsport and directly related to the motor in the road-going i30 Sedan N.
| Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR Specifications | |
| Length | 4,710 mm |
| Width | 1,950 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,750 mm |
| Engine | 1,998 cc turbocharged four-cylinder, DOHC, 16 valves |
| Power | 257 kW at 7,000 rpm |
| Torque | 450 Nm at 3,500 rpm |
| Transmission | Six-speed sequential with paddle shift, front-wheel drive |
| Suspension (Front) | Fully adjustable MacPherson strut with coil springs & anti-roll bar |
| Suspension (Rear) | Fully adjustable four-arm multi-link with coil springs & anti-roll bar |
| Steering | Electrically assisted rack and pinion |
| Brakes (Front) | Six-piston callipers and 380 mm ventilated disc |
| Brakes (Rear) | Two-piston callipers with 278 mm disc |
| Wheels | 18” x 10” Braid alloys specifically designed for Hyundai Motorsport |
| Tyres | Kumho TCR slicks |
| Fuel Tank | 100 litres with dry-brake system |
About the 2023 TCR Australia Championship
The 2023 TCR Australia Championship consists of seven rounds, each with three races.
Two practice sessions are held before the opening qualifying session with the top 10 fastest drivers progressing to a 15-minute shootout that determines the final starting positions for the opening race.
In the second race, the drivers that finish race one in the top 10 positions are reversed. And, in the final race - which pays double points - the starting positions are determined by the driver’s aggregated point score.
As for the points scoring system, the fastest five drivers in qualifying score bonus points, and, in the three races, the first and third races are worth equal points while the reverse Top 10 second race is worth 80 per cent (see table below). The driver with the fastest lap in each of the three races also picks-up an extra point.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| Qualifying | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | |||||
| Race 1 & 3 | 50 | 46 | 42 | 38 | 36 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 23 |
| Race 2 | 40 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 |
Uniquely, this season will include two rounds of the new TCR World Tour in Australia, including Sydney Motorsport Park and the season finale Bathurst International at Mount Panorama in November.
The TCR World Tour, which replaces the previous WTCR World Touring Car Cup, will be contested over nine rounds from the 200 TCR-sanctioned events to be held across the globe in 2023 with 16 of the world’s best touring car drivers racing against the local competitors.
Every driver in all TCR sanctioned championships will score points on the TCR World Rankings with the top 30 then invited to compete in the TCR World Final at the end of the season.
The 2023 TCR Australia Championship will be broadcast live on Stan Sport in Australia.
| 2023 TCR Australia Championship Schedule | |
| Round 1 | February 24-26, Symmons Plains, Tasmania |
| Round 2 | May 12-14, Phillip Island, Victoria |
| Round 3 | June 9-11, Winton Raceway, Victoria |
| Round 4 | August 11-13, Queensland Raceway, Queensland |
| Round 5 | September 8-10, Sandown Raceway, Victoria |
| Round 6 | November 3-5, Sydney Motorsport Park, New South Wales |
| Round 7 | November 10-12, Mount Panorama, New South Wales |