Drivers pumped for TCR Australia night racing debut

Multiple drivers have voiced their excitement regarding the first ever Supercheap Auto TCR Australia race to be run under lights.

Race 1 of Round 4 at Sydney Motorsport Park, at the end of next month, will kick off at 18:45 local time/AEST.

It should make for a spectacle, which in-form Aaron Cameron expects will bring with it some fast lap times.

“Once you get the tyres up to temp at night is probably the only real issue, it will just take an extra couple of laps,” said the Garry Rogers Motorsport Peugeot star.

“The turbos, the intercoolers, those will be really cold so we’ll be setting some fast times, which is great.

“It will be nice to get back to some night racing; my last was the Dubai 24 Hour back in 2019 in a TCR car as well, so I’ve got a step ahead on many drivers.

“Once we go proper night racing, there will be glowing exhausts, the brakes will be lighting up, so I think it will be awesome racing. I can’t wait to have headlights in my rear vision mirror blinding me!”

Luke King, who finished fourth overall in the 2021 series, noted that last weekend’s twilight running at Bathurst had provided an initial insight into what to expect from a night race.

“I loved racing into the twilight at Bathurst and I’m excited to be competing under lights at SMP, which I think we should do more of,” he said.

“I was starting to see Browny’s [Will Brown] exhaust during the second race at Bathurst and I could see it glowing orange, so it will be even more spectacular during night conditions.”

Tony D’Alberto leads the TCR Australia Series after three rounds, with a 37-point buffer to 2019 title winner Brown.

Action at Sydney Motorsport Park will take place across May 27-29.

Track schedule: Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships, Sydney Motorsport Park