QTCC Racing set to return to Lakeside Park


2021 Season Ignites at Lakeside this Sunday.

Following a frustrating and truncated 2020 season, the Brisbane Collision Centre Queensland Touring Car Championship returns this weekend, with Lakeside Park playing host to the opening round of the 2021 season.

It’s been five months since Matthew Haak wrapped up the 2020 title, and while there’s been a sizeable gap in the racing schedule, there’s been no shortage of activity, both on and off the circuit, as drivers and teams prepare for the new season.

For some, the work has been done behind closed doors, with repairs and maintenance the order of the day for the off-season, while others have conducted no shortage of testing, in a bid to work on their setups, or find some pace, ahead of this weekend’s season launch.

Currently, thirty-three entries have been received for the opening round of the new campaign – the first of six rounds this season, of which only two will be staged at Lakeside Park.

For clarity purposes, there is a slight change a renaming the classes -  Group A1 becomes Group A, Group A2 becomes Group B, and Group B now becomes Group C.

Unfortunately the return of two-day events for the season 2021, cannot occur due to Covid. Of the six scheduled rounds, just two (Rounds 3 and 4) will be run over a weekend, with Rounds 1, 2, 5 and 6 to be crammed into a single day – the latter three all on Saturdays at Queensland Raceway – and that in itself could end up having significant championship implications, for more than one reason.

Firstly, to accommodate the now crammed scheduling of these events, some rounds of the championship will only be contested over THREE races, instead of the traditional FOUR.

These one-day events are high pressure days at the office, for competitors and crews alike, with limited turnaround time, between each on-track session, so by going from four races to three, it buys everyone a little more time for preparation, and hopefully saves some wear and tear on their very well prepared and presented cars.

Consequently, with less races comes more pressure, less points scoring opportunities, therefore less margin for error. Finishing every race has never been more important, if you want to consider yourself a championship contender in 2021.

On the subject of championship contenders, Matthew Haak enters the 2021 season as the man to beat. Unfortunately others didn’t have the same level of up front consistency which saw him crowned 2020 champion. It was sheer reward for consistency, patience and perseverance, after a difficult second-half of the 2019 campaign saw the A2 title slip from his grasp.

However there’s a number of competitors that are breathing down his neck for 2021, namely Dean McMahon who won more races than anyone last year, Saxon Moyes who gained considerable momentum in his E36 BMW at the tail end of 2020 and returning 2012 & 2013 Champion Chris Brown with a heap of renewed vigour. Ensuring speed and reliability will be the key to success in 2021.


Another BMW pilot, who proved consistency was king in 2020, was John Swarbrooke. Pommie John was second outright in the championship, at the end of the truncated, five-round season, just 205 points clear of Dean McMahon.


After progressing through the ranks, both Cameron Haak and Simon Winters will feature in Class A – the outright class – this weekend.

Winters recently revealed his 2021 challenger, to much praise from colleagues and competitors alike. The former Track Attack Australia Excel Cup racer will sport a BOOST MOBILE livery this season.

Elsewhere, Steven Harris brings the Nissan Bluebird back to the grid, while Shannon Cane will be missing from this opening round, as work continues on her car, in readiness for a return to the grid in May.

In Group B, Rod Droder, Michael Woodcroft and Les Hanifin lead a Holden brigade desperate to the BMW entries in their place, and good to see another category favourite in Gary Anger back on the grid as well, in his purple and silver commodore.

In Group C, a couple of Italian Challenge graduates, in Ettore and Alessandro Vosolo join the grid. Ettore will be behind the wheel of a BMW E30, while Alessandro pilots a BMW 325i.
It's always a strong, competitive field, in the lower class, and 2021 is no exception.

Andrew Knight will, once again, be one to beat, while Mark Hyde is back on the grid, in a brand new Ford Escort, after being involved in a nasty shunt at Lakeside back in September, that saw the old one written off.

For fans that can’t be trackside, you’ll be able to catch all the action via the QLD Touring Car Championship Facebook page, and YouTube channel, plus Ipswich’s live and local online radio station, West Bremer Radio, will have comprehensive coverage from EVERY ROUND of the season, hosted by Zak Caban.

Competitors will hit the track for unofficial practice on Saturday, before Sunday’s track activity gets underway, from 9:30am local time.

Round

Date

Venue

1

Sunday, March 21

Lakeside Park

2

Saturday, May 22

Queensland Raceway

3

June 26-27

Queensland Raceway

4

July 10-11

Lakeside Park

5

Saturday, August 21

Queensland Raceway

6

Saturday, October 23

Queensland Raceway


The 2021 Queensland Touring Car Championship is proudly sponsored by: Brisbane Collision Centre, Brisbane Motor Works, Uniglide Friction Reducing Concrete, Hully’s Automotive, Tyre Busters Kunda Park, Hano’s Car Care, Vitesse Developments, Fifotos Motorsport Media, Andrew Knight Electrical Contracting, Western Suburbs Mechanical, Hyqual Australia, and Prestige Stripes and Signs.








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