Hyundai’s new recruit scores breakthrough TCR Australia Championship win at Symmons Plains
- Former British Touring Car Championship race winner Tom Oliphant scored his first overall round victory in the TCR Australia Championship with a double podium at Symmons Plains in Tasmania
- Hyundai’s Josh Buchan was poised to take the championship lead from Tasmania only to be driven off the road in the final race
- HMO Customer Racing heads to Phillip Island for the next round of the 2024 TCR Australia Championship on April 12-14
Hyundai’s Tom Oliphant scored his breakthrough first overall round victory in the TCR Australia Championship during an action-packed and heated round two of the 2024 series at Symmons Plains in Tasmania.
The expat Brit, who made his debut in the TCR Australia Championship at Symmons Plains in 2023 and has joined the reigning teams’ champions HMO Customer Racing this season, bounced back from a disappointing qualifying position to charge through the field and score a double podium result - finishing second in the reverse-grid race and then clearing out to a dominant victory during a door-banging and dramatic final 30-lap sprint.
It was Oliphant’s second race victory in the TCR Australia Championship, after winning the reverse-grid race at Winton Raceway in 2023, elevating him back into title contention.
The weekend was marred by controversy both on and off the track, with a late decision to scrap race one points following an appeal by a competitor team. This meant Buchan not only lost crucial championship points for a second-place finish, but also started the final race from the middle of the pack, instead of the front row.
Nevertheless, in race three Buchan muscled his way into a podium position only to be spun out by Zac Soutar while racing through the fastest section of the circuit, sending his i30 N TCR off the track at high speed in a dramatic cloud of dust. He managed to rejoin the race and nurse his damaged Hyundai across the line in 11th.
HMO Customer Racing now heads to Phillip Island in Victoria for the third round of the 2024 TCR Australia Championship on April 12-14
Car 1: i30 N TCR - Josh Buchan
“I don’t really know how to sum up such a weird weekend. We had the second fastest car all weekend, but the events that unraveled in race one led to the confusing decision that was made to start the final race, which was chaotic. In all honesty, it was actually good fun out there – there was a lot going on. At this point, I don’t really want to say anything about the incident, but I think there will be a lot to unpack from this weekend and Phillip Island can’t come soon enough. I’ll just press on and try again another day.”
Car 15: i30 N TCR – Tom Oliphant
“I reckon I’m the happiest guy on the grid after everything that has happened. It’s been an entertaining weekend – let’s put it that way. We were quick in the opening practice but then went into the wrong direction in qualifying. We made great changes for the race set-up and we were rapid. The car I had underneath me was superb and to come away with the most points from the weekend is a surprise. I’m well aware it had a lot to do with a judicial decision, but I’ve been in this game long enough and have had my share of bad luck – so I’ll happily take a dose of good luck for this one. Either way, this is exactly the result I needed to turnaround my championship aspirations. I’m really, really pleased.”
Race Results: Round 2, Symmons Plains Raceway, Tasmania
| Josh Buchan | Tom oliphant | |
Practice 1 |
P9 (56.5462sec) |
P5 (56.4056sec) |
Practice 2 |
P5 (56.5222sec) |
P10 (56.8956sec) |
Qualifying |
P2 (56.1652sec) |
P10 (56.8568sec) |
Race 1 |
P2 (56.8963sec) |
P8 (56.7549sec) |
Race 2 |
P6 (57.0215sec) |
P2 (56.9321sec) - FL |
Race 3 |
P1 (56.8927sec) |
P1 (56.9118sec) |
2024 TCR Australia Championship Standings - Provisional
Position |
Name |
Car |
Points |
1. |
Zac Soutar |
Audi RS3 LMS |
187 |
2. |
Ben Bargwanna |
Peugeot 308 R |
186 |
3. |
Jordan Cox |
Peugeot 308 TCR |
186 |
4. |
Josh Buchan |
Hyundai i30 N TCR |
169 |
5. |
Clay Richards |
Cupra Leon TCR |
168 |
6. |
Ryan Casha |
Peugeot 308 TCR |
164 |
7. |
Dylan O’Keefe |
Lynk & Co 03 TCR |
161 |
8. |
Brad Harris |
Honda Civic Type R |
133 |
9. |
Aaron Cameron |
Peugeot 308 TCR |
125 |
10. |
Tony D’Alberto |
Honda Civic Type R |
124 |
11. |
Tom Oliphant |
Hyundai i30 N TCR |
121 |
Hyundai i30 N TCR
The Hyundai i30 N TCR is one of the most successful models in the global TCR Championship.
Developed by Hyundai Motorsport’s Customer Racing division in Germany, the i30 N TCR represented Hyundai’s first steps into circuit racing when it was first launched in 2017.
The car immediately proved its performance potential by winning the first race of the inaugural FIA WTCR season in 2018 and finished the season with customer teams taking both the drivers’ and teams’ titles.
Its success continued when Hyundai’s customer racing team added a second consecutive FIA WTCR drivers’ title in 2019 during a season in which Hyundai teams won the TCR Championship in eight different series spread across four continents, including the first TCR Australia Championship with Will Brown and HMO Customer Racing.
Since then, the Hyundai i30 N TCR is the most successful model variant in the TCR Australia Championship with 19 victories.
Based on the road-going i30 N model, in-line with the TCR regulations, it is powered by a two-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine connected to a six-speed sequential gearbox and is fitted with a 100-litre fuel tank.
| Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR Specifications | |
| Length | 4,445 mm |
| Width | 1,950 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,650 mm |
| Weight | 1,265 kg (including driver) |
| 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 or four races.
This season will include two rounds of the TCR World Tour in Australia, including Sydney Motorsport Park and the season finale Bathurst International at Mount Panorama in November.
The 2024 TCR Australia Championship will be broadcast live on 7plus.
2024 TCR Australia Championship Schedule |
|
Round 1 |
February 9-11, Sandown Raceway, Victoria |
Round 2 |
May 15-17, Symmons Plains, Tasmania |
Round 3 |
April 12-14, Phillip Island, Victoria |
Round 4 |
May 31-June 2, The Bend Motorsport Park, South Australia |
Round 5 |
July 12-14, Queensland Raceway, Queensland |
Round 6 |
November 1-3, Sydney Motorsport Park, New South Wales* |
Round 7 |
November 8-10, Mount Panorama, New South Wales* |
*denotes round of the 2024 TCR World Tour
