Brown fastest in Practice 1 on TCR return

Inaugural Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series winner Will Brown has gone fastest in Practice 1 for Round 1 of the 2022 campaign at Symmons Plains.

Brown makes his return this year in a Melbourne Performance Centre Audi RS 3 after taking the 2019 title in an HMO Customer Racing Hyundai i30 N, and wasted little time in getting back on the pace.

His 0:55.7197s with just over five minutes remaining in the half-hour hit-out left him 0.0962s ahead of privateer Audi driver Liam McAdam all told, with James Moffat third-quickest in a Garry Rogers Motorsport Renault Megane RS.

McAdam advanced from sixth in the final three minutes to take second with a 0:55.8159s, bumping Moffat back to third moments after he had jumped from outside the top 10 with a 0:55.9411s.

Brown had been embroiled in a brief, three-way battle with team-mate Jay Hanson and Ashley Seward Motorsport’s Michael Caruso for opening practice honours.

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Hanson, who is giving the new-generation RS 3 its global debut outside of WTCR – World Touring Car Cup, was fastest after the first flyers and ultimately took fourth on a 0:55.9584s.

Caruso set the fastest first sector on his final lap in the #10 Alfa Romeo Giulietta but could not make any gain on his earlier 0:55.9826s when he reached the chequered flag.

That kept him fifth, ahead of Nathan Morcom (Hyundai), Tony D’Alberto (Honda Civic Type R), Bailey Sweeny (Hynudai), Jordan Cox (Peugeot), and Aaron Cameron (Peugeot), the latter of whom broke an arm only weeks ago.

Debutant Fabian Coulthard was at one point quickest, just after an early red flag, but ended up 13th on the timesheet with a 0:56.4189s in the #24 Wall Racing Honda.

Said red flag was called in the fourth minute and lasted more than 13 minutes, with timing suggesting an issue for Garry Rogers Motorsport’s Kody Garland (Renault) was the cause.

UPDATE: Garland entry in doubt for the rest of Round 1 after crashing

Practice 2, another half-hour hit-out, starts at 14:15 local time/AEDT, while tomorrow’s action will be streamed live on Stan Sport.

Results: Practice 1

Pos	Num	Team/Sponsor	Driver	Car	Fastest lap	Split
1	999	MPC Team LIQUI MOLY	William Brown	Audi RS 3	0:55.7197
2	97	Forza Brakes Motorsport	Liam McAdam	Audi RS 3	0:55.8159	0:00.0962
3	34	LMCT+ Racing GRM	James Moffat	Renault Megane RS	0:55.9411	0:00.2214
4	9	AWC MPC Racing	Jay Hanson	Audi RS 3	0:55.9584	0:00.2387
5	10	Ashley Seward Motorsport	Michael Caruso	Alfa Romeo Giulietta	0:55.9826	0:00.2629
6	11	HMO Customer Racing	Nathan Morcom	Hyundai i30N	0:56.0874	0:00.3677
7	50	Honda Wall Racing	Tony D’Alberto	Honda Civic Type R	0:56.0974	0:00.3777
8	130	HMO Customer Racing	Bailey Sweeny	Hyundai i30N	0:56.3029	0:00.5832
9	33	Swyftx GRM	Jordan Cox	Renault Megane RS	0:56.3232	0:00.6035
10	18	Team Valvoline GRM	Aaron Cameron	Peugeot 308 TCR	0:56.3724	0:00.6527
11	110	Team Soutar Motorsport	Zac Soutar	Honda Civic Type R	0:56.3968	0:00.6771
12	333	Royal Purple Racing	Brad Shiels	Hyundai i30N	0:56.4135	0:00.6938
13	24	Stan Sport Wall Racing	Fabian Coulthard	Honda Civic Type R	0:56.4189	0:00.6992
14	30	HMO Customer Racing	Josh Buchan	Hyundai i30N	0:56.4288	0:00.7091
15	8	Schaeffler GRM	Dylan O’Keeffe	Peugeot 308 TCR	0:56.4938	0:00.7741
16	71	Burson Auto Parts Racing	Ben Bargwanna	Peugeot 308 TCR	0:56.6815	0:00.9618
17	14	Purple Sector	Lachlan Mineeff	Volkswagen Golf GTI	0:56.8188	0:01.0991
18	44	Melbourne Performance Centre	Eddie Maguire	Volkswagen Golf GTI	0:57.2394	0:01.5197
19	89	Braydan Willmington M’Sport	Braydan Willmington	Alfa Romeo Giulietta	0:57.9524	0:02.2327
20	41	Valvoline Racing GRM	Kody Garland	Renault Megane RS