News
Blockbuster Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters calendar confirmed
A BLOCKBUSTER 2022 Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters calendar has been confirmed, featuring a mixture of high-profile events and fantastic circuits known for producing sensational racing.
TCM is also proud to announce that title partners Gulf Western Oil have extended their support of the series for a further two years, taking their naming-rights partnership through to the 2024 season.
Gulf Western Oil first joined with TCM at the commencement of the 2020 season and have continued to support the category since.
In a further expansion of their support, the Australian-owned company will also post a $500 Gulf Western Oil Pole Position award for the outright fastest qualifier at each event next year.
The expansion of Gulf Western Oil’s support and confirmation of a high-profile calendar is set to deliver continued growth for Australia’s most popular category for classic Muscle and Sports Cars for years to come.
The 2022 calendar includes a mixture of both Supercars Championship, Shannons Motorsport Australia Championship and key marquee events, offering the best possible spread of profile events and circuits known to produce great TCM racing for the competitors, those watching on TV and local fans.
The season commences with a return to the streets of Newcastle at the 2022 Repco Newcastle 500.
TCM concluded the 2017 and 2018 series at the challenging, undulating street circuit in the Hunter region of New South Wales and has developed a legion of local fans in the area.
Following a second stop in New South Wales in May – with the location to be confirmed – TCM teams will then head North for a highly anticipated return to North Queensland and the NTI Townsville 500.
The category first raced in Townsville in 2018 following a lengthy fan-driven campaign by local TCM fans desperate to see the cars in their own backyard, with 2022 to mark the second visit to the ever-popular event.
Queensland fans won’t have to wait long for their second taste of TCM next year thanks to a stop at Queensland Raceway in August – a circuit last visited by TCM in the 2019 season.
After completing the penultimate round of the year at the ‘Home of Horsepower’ – Melbourne’s Sandown Raceway – in September, the field will return to Mount Panorama in November for the season finale’.
The ‘TCM Mountain Masters’ will be contested at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International event on November 11-13.
Strong interest from the New Zealand TCM contingent offers the potential of another massive international field of Muscle Cars tackling the Mountain to conclude the 2022 season.
Touring Car Masters enters the 2022 season in a positive position following a competitive conclusion to the 2021 Series at Mount Panorama recently.
A revised class structure plus added support and significant interest in both new and old cars joining the grid points to a strong 2022 season for one of Australia’s most popular classes.
2022 Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters calendar
- Newcastle Street Circuit (Repco Newcastle 500) March 4-6
- TBC (NSW) May
- Reid Park Street Circuit, Townsville (NTI Townsville 500) July 8-10
- Queensland Raceway, Ipswich (Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships) August 6-7
- Sandown Raceway (Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships) September 17-18
- Mount Panorama, Bathurst (Supercheap Auto Bathurst International) November 11-13
Peter McColl – National Sales & Marketing Manager, Gulf Western Oil
“As an Australian oil brand with a proud history of supporting Australian motorsport, extending our commitment to Touring Car Masters was an easy decision to make. The ‘essence’ of TCM resonates with the Gulf Western Oil brand as it produces some of the best sights, sounds and racing of any national category, and has a truly passionate competitor and fan base.
“Our renewed two-year partnership and ongoing investment in TCM comes at a time when Gulf Western Oil is also introducing more services, products and the Lone Rider national advertising campaign.”
“We wish the TCM teams all the best for season 2022 – bring on Round 1 in Newcastle.”
Matt Braid – CEO, Australian Racing Group
“We’re very pleased to welcome Gulf Western Oil back as the major partner of Touring Car Masters for the next two years,” Braid said.
“Gulf Western are a great Aussie company and their support of a great Aussie category like TCM has been a strong partnership for both sides for the last two years.
“We’re looking forward to a more normal year in 2022 – with growing grids and some incredible events on the calendar that will see the TCM cars and stars put on a great show.”
Liam Curkpatrick – Touring Car Masters Category Manager
“We have worked hard to build Touring Car Masters throughout 2021 and put the category in the best position to flourish in 2022, and the new calendar reflects that,” Curkpatrick said.
“Returning to key Supercars ‘marquee’ events like Newcastle and Townsville not only follows competitor feedback but also reflects the popularity of the category in fans that attend those incredible street circuit events each year.
“Retaining key Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships rounds, including a return to Queensland Raceway, will ensure that as many TCM fans as possible can see the action, while concluding at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International is a no-brainer.
“We would have had significant international participation on the TCM grid this year had it not been for border closures, so we’re optimistic that the 2022 finale’ next November will see a full field of cars from here and across the Tasman putting on a massive show to end the year.”