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TCR Australia provides perfect yardstick
Competing in the same field as Chaz Mostert, Lee Holdsworth, James Moffat and Michael Caruso has provides the perfect yardstick to measure against according to Supercheap Auto TCR Australia privateer Lachlan Mineeff.
The latest to feature as part of Auto Action’s Young Gun feature series, Mineeff discussed the opportunity Supercheap Auto TCR Australia provides.
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“The cars are extremely unique to anything else that’s out there, the mix of front-wheel drive and the slick tyre,” Mineeff told Auto Action.
“You look at some of the names and there’s several Bathurst 1000 winners. The level of competition is huge, and certainly up there as one of the most competitive TCR series in the world.
“Guys like Chaz (Mostert) are fantastic for the category, competing full-time in TCR and Supercars this year, that gives us a really good yardstick of where we’re at.
“I’m certainly really enjoying my time in TCR.”
It was a rapid period between Mineeff announcing his campaign to debuting at Phillip Island, then contesting Round 4 at Sydney Motorsport Park after missing Bathurst due to 6 Hour commitments.
“To be honest, I hadn’t sat in a single TCR car until the Wednesday before the [Phillip Island round] event,” Mineeff said.
“There’s been a few drivers and teams that have been able to get some serious miles up, and we’re obviously jumping in the deep end with no practice at all.
“It’s been a unique situation where we’ve jumped into a top-level national category where the teams are quite established.
“The challenge that we’ve had this year as a privateer team is trying to work out the best way to drive the car.”
Inclement conditions made Mineeff’s debut difficult, but he managed to finish in the top 10 on debut.
“It was a bit of a whirlwind,” he fondly remembers.
“We took the weekend as six practice sessions at the start, just trying to learn as much as we could.
“The first race was the highlight, from 20th on the grid to ninth in really wet weather conditions. That was certainly the highlight of our TCR season this year.”
After graduating from Formula Ford, Mineeff is now aiming for an international touring car career, which he believes Supercheap Auto TCR Australia can provide the launchpad to.
“The TCR formula is something that’s attractive for me, the fact that the cars are pretty much the same around the world,” Mineeff revealed.
“The TCR Australia Series is one of the most competitive in the world, I’m certainly not looking to move out of TCR Australia anytime soon.
“[In the longer term] as a driver you’ve always got to keep your options open.
“Looking at the touring car route in the US, UK or Europe would be fantastic.”
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