22-ENTRIES SET FOR ASIA PACIFIC CUP

A 22-car field will contest this weekend’s inaugural TCR Asia Pacific Cup, featuring five internationals and seven marques across the three-race weekend.

By HEATH McALPINE

Late entries have been received, including one for the returning Garth Tander and another for former Super3 frontrunner Hamish Ribarits. Both will drive Audi RS3 LMS TCRs, Tander’s is owned by Jamec Racing and is brand new, while Ribarits will pilot the same chassis Russell Ingall drove to multiple podiums last year.

Tander finished on the podium five times last year from nine starts, while Ribarits finished on the round podium at Phillip Island in the same Audi, then contested the Winton round in a Kelly Racing Holden Astra.

Another change is the inclusion of Japanese driver Takuya Shirasaka, replacing Paul Ip in one of Wall Racing’s Honda Civic Type Rs. Shirasaka makes his Australian racing debut, but brings with him plenty of TCR experience.

Ip is expected to take the start in the opening round of the series at Sydney Motorsport Park, but will miss the Asia Pacific Cup due to business commitments.

Shirasuka is joined by fellow international competitors Jack Milligan, Rene Munnich, Stan van Oord and Julien Briche.

Fresh from his IndyCar test, James Allen will contest the Asia Pacific Cup after tasting the category at The Bend Motorsport Park last year. He will be up against the likes of former Supercars drivers Tander, Jason Bargwanna, James Moffat and Michael Caruso, as well as established TCR Australia frontrunners headed by reigning series winner Will Brown, Dylan O’Keeffe, Aaron Cameron and Nathan Morcom.

Action for TCR begins tomorrow at 11:25am AEDT with opening practice.

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