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2017 TOURING CAR MASTERS CALENDAR CONFIRMED
A SEVEN-ROUND Touring Car Masters schedule will see the series take in high-profile events on the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship schedule in 2017.
Commencing at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide in March the series then returns to country Victoria and the Winton SuperSprint on May 19-21 for round two.
The now traditional trip to the top-end will see TCM return to Hidden Valley Raceway for the 10th consecutive year when they return to the Crown Darwin Triple Crown on June 16-18.
TCM then returns to Queensland Raceway for the Coates Hire Ipswich SuperSprint on July 28-30 to continue the ‘summer in winter’ theme.
The fifth round of 2017 will be something special with the Touring Car Masters returning to the Wilson Security Sandown 500 – the Supercars ‘Retro Round’.
The appropriate match will see names like Bowe Seton Johnson and Richards on track as the sport celebrates the classic 60s 70s and 80s era with historic cars dress-ups and retro-themed activities.
Following the traditional Bathurst warm-up in Melbourne TCM returns to the Mountain for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on October 5-8.
The final round of the 2017 season will see the Touring Car Masters head to the New South Wales coast for the inaugural running of the Coates Hire Newcastle 500 – the new season finale’ to be held in November 2017.
“The 2017 calendar is the result of hard work and dedication from everyone involved in Touring Car Masters to prove to the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship that we warrant being at their major events†explained Category Manager Tony Hunter.
“This year we have put on a sensational show with great and clean racing fantastic cars and lots of entertainment for fans at each round and watching on TV.
“We are pleased to have been invited to the marquee events in Adelaide Sandown Bathurst and Newcastle while also ensuring we take the series further abroad with trips to Winton Ipswich and Darwin. It will be a very exciting year for TCM.â€Â
In addition to the seven-round Touring Car Masters calendar four rounds next year will double as rounds of the fledgling IROC Challenge classic Porsche series.
Up to 12 of the flat-six powered Porsche 911s will race at the Clipsal 500 Winton Queensland Raceway and Sandown rounds before staging a stand-alone fifth round to conclude their championship.
Classic Porsche 911s have always been a significant part of Touring Car Masters and have previously raced in the ProSports class. The IROC Challenge specification vehicles remain perfect fit for TCM’s similar regulations and will enhance the grid next year.
IROC Challenge cars will start on their own grid spaced off the back of the TCM field and will retain their own identity within the broader TCM field.
The final round of the 2016 Touring Car Masters Series will see the field take to the streets of Sydney Olympic Park for the last time at the Coates Hire Sydney 500 next week.
2017 TOURING CAR MASTERS CALENDAR
- Clipsal 500 Adelaide March 2-5
- Woodstock Winton SuperSprint May 19-21
- CrownBet Darwin Triple Crown June 16-18
- Coates Hire Queensland SuperSprint July 28-30
- Wilson Security Sandown 500 September 15-17
- Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 October 5-8
- Coates Hire Newcastle 500 November
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