Hyundai’s Josh Buchan and HMO Customer Racing teammate Tom Oliphant are both seeking revenge at Symmons Plains Raceway as the 2024 TCR Australia Championship resumes for round two in Tasmania this weekend.
Buchan, who scored a podium finish on his TCR debut at the short yet fast circuit in 2021, was robbed of victory the next year when he was penalised for a rule that no longer exists (weaving under the safety car) and then denied a front-row start in 2023 due to a technical issue.
This year, having kick-started his TCR Championship defence with second place in the opening round at Sandown, the 29-year-old reigning TCR Australia champion is aiming for redemption on the Apple Isle and reclaim the lead in the drivers’ standings.
Similarly, former British Touring Car Championship race winner Oliphant is hoping to re-start his championship attack at Symmons Plains and recover lost ground after a tricky debut with HMO Customer Racing, where technical gremlins hampered the top speed of his Hyundai i30 N TCR.
Oliphant is confident the team has rectified the issues after a positive test session and plans to unleash some aggressive driving tactics on the technical 2.4km circuit.
Having made his first appearance in the TCR Australia Championship in Tasmania last year, Symmons Plains will be the first circuit that Oliphant has previous experience and says it has a lot of familiar characteristics from ‘old school’ circuits in his native Great Britain.
HMO Customer Racing will have two 30-minute practice sessions at Symmons Plains Raceway on Friday afternoon to fine tune the cars ahead of qualifying on Saturday at 12:05pm and the opening race, which starts at 3:15pm. The team will return to the track on Sunday for the two remaining races, with the top-10 finishers from Saturday’s first race reversed for the second sprint.
Fans can catch all the action from Symmons Plains Raceway and the Motorsport Australia Shannons Speed Series live and free via 7plus.
What the drivers said:
Car 1: i30 N TCR – Josh Buchan
“I love Symmons Plains as a racetrack; it’s a little bullring! Traditionally in the past, it has been a happy hunting ground for HMO Customer Racing as a team. For me, I scored my first podium on my TCR debut in Tassie in 2021 and have always had good pace at Symmons Plains. But last year we were chasing a technical issue all weekend that set us back, and the year before I was on for the win but copped a penalty for a punishment that no longer exists. So, I’m looking to avenge those results this time around. I’m pretty keen to get one back.”
Car 15: i30 N TCR – Tom Oliphant
“We didn’t have the greatest start to the season at Sandown, so there is only one way option for me and that is to go absolutely hell for leather and try to reclaim as many points as possible. I have absolutely nothing to lose, and that makes me a little more dangerous. Josh has proven the i30 N is competitive and there is no reason why I wouldn’t be up the front where he was at Sandown. Basically, I am going to Symmons to start my championship again.”
2024 TCR Australia Championship Standings
| Position | Name | Car | Points |
| 1. | Ben Bargwanna | Peugeot 308 R | 125 |
| 2. | Josh Buchan | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 123 |
| 3. | Jordan Cox | Peugeot 308 TCR | 119 |
| 4. | Zac Soutar | Audi RS3 LMS | 116 |
| 5. | Ryan Casha | Peugeot 308 TCR | 108 |
| 6. | Clay Richards | Cupra Leon TCR | 101 |
| 7. | Tony D’Alberto | Honda Civic Type R | 99 |
| 8. | John Martin | Honda Civic Type R | 83 |
| 9. | Dylan O’Keefe | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 81 |
| 10. | Aaron Cameron | Peugeot 308 TCR | 80 |
| 14. | Tom Oliphant | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 39 |
2024 TCR Australia Championship, Round 2: Symmons Plains Raceway
| Track Facts | |
| Location | Launceston, Tasmania |
| Length | 2.411 km |
| TCR Pole Record | 55.2931sec, Nathan Morcom (Hyundai i30 N) – 2022 |
| TCR Lap Record | 55.7811sec, Jay Hanson (Audi RS3 LMS) – 2022 |
TCR Schedule – Round 2: Symmons Plains Raceway
| Friday March 15 | Saturday March 16 | Sunday March 17 |
| Practice 1: 10:55am | Qualifying: 12:05pm | Race 2: 12:15pm |
| Practice 2: 1:45pm | Race 1: 3:15pm | Race 3: 3:15pm |