Lee Holdsworth completed his first taste of his Alfa Romeo Giulietta car ahead of his debut in the TCR Australia next week.
At Symmons Plains the former Supercars regular and his 17-year-old Ash Seward Motorsport team-mate Jay Hanson had to deal with a wet circuit during the day.
“The Alfa is really fun. I’m having a ball inside the car while I get my head around it,” Holdsworth said. “The differences between a Supercar and TCR car are pretty significant – going from rear wheel drive to front wheel drive. You can’t really influence the turn of the car with throttle like I’ve been used to. It’s a new challenge and a new way of thinking. The Alfa has amazing braking capabilities. It’s good fun with the paddle shift too, so I’m really enjoying it and becoming to get more comfortable, despite the weather.”
As many as 20 TCR cars will converge at Symmons Plains for the championship’s season opener on January 24/26; the nature of the track will provide some close racing.
“Symmons Plains always makes for an interesting first lap,” Holdsworth said. “The hairpin can turn into a car park, and it is sometimes a lottery about which line to take. There are two genuine racing lines that you can take and run side-by-side with someone from entry to exit. The camber of the corner is unique and allows different options. It’s going to really suit these cars. The track itself is in good nick, so I’m looking forward to getting out here next weekend. There’s a lot of big name, profiled drivers joining which is huge too. It’s exactly why I chose TCR.”
Picture: TCR Australia