Tasmania’s newest motor race events will be one of the year’s biggest gatherings

More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the state’s first big national event for 2021 – and the high-revving roadshow is set to feature a Tassie first.

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STARS in super cars will hit Symmons Plains on Sunday in the first major event in Tasmania since the worldwide coronavirus shutdown almost 12 months ago – and organisers say Race Tasmania will hit its daily sell-out cap of 5000 on Monday and Tuesday.

The brand new TCR series heads the high-revving roadshow that features four national championships competing at Tasmania’s premier circuit racing venue over the next three days before heading to Hobart for round two at Baskerville next weekend.

The TCR cars are two-litre rockets competing in Tasmania for the first time, driven by the likes of Bathurst 1000 champions Chaz Mostert and Jason Bargwanna, last year’s Bathurst provisional pole-winner Lee Holdsworth, Fabian Coulthard’s Bathurst co-driver Tony D’Alberto, and former Supercars drivers Michael Caruso and James Moffat.

Owen Kelly at Symmons Plains. Picture: Daniel Kalisz

Along with TCRs, the event features powerful S5000 open-wheelers, V8-powered Trans Ams and roaring Touring Car Masters for classic muscle cars built between 1963 and 1978.

Organisers expect a turnout of up to 13,500 over three days at the first of four major motorsport events in the state this year.

Supercars are up next at Symmons Plains on April 10-11 followed by Targa Tasmania from April 19-24 and the final round of the Australian superbike championship on November 4-7.

The motorsport “Fab Four” will attract more than 160,000 people and pump $25 million into the state’s economy, making it a high-octane jump start for local business after COVID-19.

From left, Owen Kelly, Tom Randall, Michael Casuso and Steven Johnson at Symmons Plains. Picture: Daniel Kalisz

Tasmanian Mustang pilot Owen Kelly, who has Tassie Nascar star Marcos Ambrose as his chief advisor, has raced around the world but can’t wait to hit his home track.

“Throughout my career I’ve only raced at home a handful of times, so to do it is a privilege,” Kelly said.

“We’re in good shape but until you get out there and see how you stack up you really don’t know.

“It would mean a lot to win at home.

“That would be really cool in front of my friends and family, and I’ve got my brother Christian working on my car and Marcos helping.

“It’s brilliant to have this event in Tasmania. Everyone has done a fantastic job to make it happen and it’s actually the first big race meeting in Australia for 2021.”

Supercars star Chaz Mostert.

The star of Race Tasmania will be 2014 Bathurst winner Chaz Mostert – on loan from his Supercars team – and making his TCR debut in an Audi RS3.

“I’m super pumped,” Mostert said.

“I’ve wanted to do TCR for the last 12 months but the schedules haven’t lined up.

“It’s pretty awesome to put a deal together with Bostik and the guys at MPC and I’m looking forward to getting the first round under my belt.”

Making the transition from a Supercar to a front-wheel-drive TCR Audi is a challenge.

“I felt like a duck out of water,” Mostert said.

“It has taken a bit to get my head around it – going from rear-wheel-drive to a front-wheel-drive car is completely different in how you extract the speed out of the car.”

The TCR cars are heading to Tasmania for the first time.

D’Alberto will drive a Honda Civic Type R in Honda’s new racing blue.

“The car looks fantastic in the racing blue colour. I love it. There’s actually a few other cars of a similar colour but hopeful mine is in front of them,” he said.

It will be mostly practice on Sunday, with practice and qualifying and a handful of races on Monday before a full schedule of racing on Tuesday.