TCM poised for return to Supercars bill following buyout

The Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters Series is likely to become a full-time Supercars support category again after an impending sale to competitors.

Speedcafe understands that founder and former owner Tony Hunter has been working to broker a deal for competitors to buy the series from the Australian Racing Group.

It was announced in July 2019 that ARG had bought the popular retro series, when it was a regular support category for Supercars.

Since then, TCM has largely raced at SpeedSeries events, which are a partnership between ARG and Motorsport Australia.

The development comes amid a period of upheaval for ARG, with serious question marks over the future of the struggling S5000 open-wheeler category and recent confirmation that SRO has taken over sole ownership of the Australian GT Championship (Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS).

Motorsport Australia has also taken over control of the SpeedSeries television contract, while the ARG-owned Bathurst 6 Hour has reverted from a SpeedSeries round to a genuinely standalone event again.

It is believed that, so far as categories are concerned, ARG will be left with just the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series and National Trans Am Series in 2024.

It is thought that TCM will adopt the franchise model previously used by V8 Utes (and Supercars), whereby each entry is tied to a licence.

While it is not clear exactly where Hunter would fit in, his involvement in brokering a sale is notable because it is he who created TCM as an evolution of Group N Historic racing in 2007.

Since then, the category has become hugely popular, and is generally voted as the top Supercars support by readers in the annual Speedcafe Motorsport Survey, presented by Kincrome.

Whether that popularity has been reflected in its status at SpeedSeries events is another question, though.

Competitors quickly took umbrage at TCM’s apparent status as fourth in the ARG pecking order, behind TCR, S5000, and Trans Am.

At one point, the respect it was receiving was likened to that of an ‘ugly stepsister’, in an email revealed by Speedcafe.

Entry lists have also dwindled in recent years, consistent with a trend for fellow ARG categories TCR and Trans Am, while S5000 has never been able to reliably muster double-digit grids since its first season proper in 2021.

How much that can be blamed on ARG and/or the move from Supercars to SpeedSeries events is a matter of debate, however.

Another possible factor in the decline of entries is the ‘arms race’ in TCM vehicles, which was in train before ARG took over.

In any case, the move back to Supercars events is likely to be well-received by competitors.

This year’s calendar has featured three of six rounds in total, but two of those three are promoted by The Bend itself and, in the case of the Vailo Adelaide 500, the South Australian Motorsport Board.

One round remains in 2023, in Adelaide next week.