News

25 January 2022 | General

Anticipation building ahead of second AWC Race Tasmania

Having freshly returned from the inaugural GRM Combine, Barry Rogers emphasised the excitement held by motorsport fans in the Apple Isle as Symmons Plains prepares to once again open the Australian racing season.

Following a successful maiden event last year, Supercheap Auto TCR Australia, the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship and Turtle Wax Trans Am will return for the second instalment, which is set to again provide an exciting opening to the motorsport season.

“It’s great to get the season started in Tasmania, there’s no better place then down there during the summer,” said Rogers.

“There’s been a lot of interest. The television news has been out, the newspapers have done likewise, we’d walk into somewhere with our team uniform on and people ask about Race Tasmania, they’re all looking forward to it.

“I think what we offer with our categories within ARG is big bash type style where one class finishes and another starts, it’s non-stop action. When fans come to the races, they don’t want to sit on the hill and watch safety car or ride cars going around, they want to see action.”

Rogers highlighted the support received not just from the local race fans, but by the Tasmanian Government and the regulating body Motorsport Tasmania, which have been key supporters since the concept was revealed in 2020.

“There’s nowhere in Australia where you get the support you do in Tasmania,” Rogers emphasised. “The government and Motorsports Tasmania are really behind the sport.

I was speaking to the Minister for Sport and Recreation, Jane Howlett at Baskerville during the combine and I said, ‘if you think the home AFL, you think Victoria even though it’s played around the country, the home of NRL is New South Wales, but if you think motorsport, it doesn’t have a home.

“I mean Bathurst is the obvious location because its such an iconic place, but in Tasmania there is Baskerville, which is Australia’s oldest permanent circuit. I know it’s only a club circuit, but there are certainly things in place to get it up to national level and add Symmons Plains, I believe Tasmania is the home of motorsport.

“Of course, Longford as well where there is a lot of history and tradition.”

Although AWC Race Tasmania won’t take in Baskerville this year, Rogers confirmed plans are in place to return there for the next edition.

“It’s fantastic to kick off Australian motorsport in Tasmania for a second year running and let’s hope in 2023 we can return to the doubleheader,” he concluded.

Race Tasmania will launch the 2022 Australian motorsport season featuring Supercheap Auto TCR Australia, S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship and the Turtle Wax Trans Am Series.

Make sure you get your tickets through Moshtix.