Michael King will make his long-awaited début in the TCR Australia series at Sydney Motorsport Park next weekend, racing the Hyundai i30 N he acquired at the start of the 2020 season.
King had been set to make his bow in the tin-top series in 2020, but when the season was cancelled he had to put his plans on hold, including missing the first three events of 2021.
The former state-level Improved Production Car driver has enjoyed a number of test days already, and feels he is now ready to make his touring car race début.
“Our expectation is just get in there and have a crack, and hopefully we get a reasonable result from it,” said King.
“It’s my home track. I’ve raced there for years in Improved Production and Production Touring Cars. We had success at that circuit in our (Mitsubishi) Evo, so we certainly know [which] way the track goes.
“I’ve done some testing of the TCR car at Sydney Motorsport Park too, just trying to get familiar with the car.
“But none of that is not going to give me a leg up in this category. There are some great drivers and teams, but you know, we’re going to have some fun and see where we fall fit in.”
King has been supported by HMO Customer Racing, the official importer of Hyundai TCR cars in Australia and New Zealand.
“The guys at HMO came and helped out and they were absolutely fantastic,” added King. “Nathan [Morcom] and a couple of their crew were there, and they were awesome. I got out of the car and for the first time, I felt like I could drive the car.
“The cars certainly require a different style to what I’m used to, and they really helped me get the most out of it. I can’t thank them enough for that.”