The unlikely union is the work of the TCR team boss Barry Morcom and speedway racer Don Mackay, who hatched a plan to combine their respective interests.
The end product is a Speedcar powered by a Hyundai i30 N TCR engine.
The idea was to see if a Speedcar could be powered with something at a fraction of the cost of the popular billet block engines while remaining competitive.
Some of the most popular engine options can cost upwards of $100,000 with servicing costs around $25,000 annually. It’s hoped the TCR-based option will have significantly lower maintenance costs.
“The idea arose from a conversation between HMO Customer Racing team owner Barry Borcom and long-time Speedcar racer Don Mackay, who have known each other for a long time, while discussing the current state of Speedcar competition and the high barrier for entry,” HMO Customer Racing team manager Aaron Grech told Speedcafe.
“This has been more than two years in the making and has involved hundreds of man-hours by our team at HMO Customer Racing and a number of third-party specialists in design, fabrication, and installation to adapt the same engine we have run in the championship-winning Hyundai i30 N TCR hatch and i30 Sedan N TCR for the past six years.”
In its TCR specification, the Hyundai i30 N engine is a 2.0-litre, turbocharged inline-four making 360 hp, making it a suitable candidate for Speedcar racing.
The engine has had some Speedcar-specific parts manufactured to make it fit for purpose.
At the moment, the TCR-powered Speedcar is in its proof of concept stage.
The team is awaiting homologation and Speedcars Australia Inc to vote on whether it can race.
Approval and demand for the engines will ultimately determine its cost.
“Essentially, what we are attempting to do is create a more affordable entry point into the category that is competitive but does not make the existing engine technology obsolete,” said Grech.
“We want to encourage new teams and drivers – and potentially new fans – to the Speedcar class.
“The TCR engine is a production-based motor that is more affordable to purchase and significantly cheaper to maintain with longer service intervals.
“The car has been through a rigorous test program on the dyno and has already competed at numerous events with positive results.
“The next step is to have the regulations updated across the country that will allow it to compete.
“We have presented all the relevant documents to the Australian Speedcar Association and are waiting on a voting process for approval.
“We are racers at heart and excited to expand our horizons into the action-packed world of speedway racing.”
Speedcars are more commonly known outside of Australia as Midgets.
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