Garwood is currently fourth in the series standings but would be nipping at the heels of Steven Johnson at the top of the points table, as he was on the track before an electrical issue saw him drop from second to eighth in the final race of the Mount Panorama weekend.
The Tasmanian has been a semi-regular presence in TCM for several years now, driving a Ford Capri and a Holden Torana as far back as 2016, before moving on to one of Whiteline Racing’s Chevrolet Camaros.
Now, he is in the category’s sole Holden Commodore, the VB previously raced and now overseen by Gerard McLeod.
“It’s certainly different,” Garwood told Speedcafe of the car which he stepped into last year.
“I guess it’s sort of a little bit more of a Supercar with the way Gerard’s built it. He’s obviously come from a Supercar background, sort of incorporated a bit into that.
“So, different to what I’m used to but we’re sort of getting our head around it now and it should be ready to fire in.”
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While Garwood has never raced at Wanneroo Raceway, where Round 2 starts tomorrow, he is anticipating that the relatively nimble Commodore will hold him in good stead on the tight, 2.42km circuit.
“I certainly want to be on the outright podium, trying to make up points for that last race in Bathurst, so we’ll be pushing and hopefully our cars suits that track better than most,” remarked the 25-year-old.
“Because it’s that little bit tighter, I think it’s pretty hard on the tyres around there.
“Being a little bit lighter, [but driving] a smaller car, it’s certainly going to help us out.”
Steven Johnson won the TCM title for the fourth time in 2023 after Ryan Hansford scored a breakthrough series triumph in 2022, but Garwood is hoping to fight for the crown in 2024.
“We’ve got the right people involved in the team and the right car,” he said.
“I guess it’s sort of up to me to fight up against Stevie J and Ryan, so we certainly matched their pace at Bathurst and I think that’s going to be our worst track for us in terms of developing the car and just the nature of the track.
“The car’s a bit smaller and small wheelbase compared to, say, the Mustang or the bigger six-litre cars like Joel’s [Heinrich, Whiteline Camaro], so I think as the season goes on, it’ll get better for us.”
TCM Practice and Qualifying take place tomorrow, with the Trophy Race and Race 1 on Saturday.
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