Wall Racing has signed New Zealander Jordan Michels to take over the Honda Civic Type-R which was previously raced by Jordan Cox in the TCR Australia series, starting at the Queensland Raceway this weekend.
Michels will line up alongside team-mates Tony D’Alberto and John Martin in the three-car Honda outfit, making his début in racing on Australian soil.
The 19-year-old has previously sampled TCR machinery in his native New Zealand, racing a Hyundai i30 N TCR in two endurance races alongside Gene Rollinson.
The reigning New Zealand Formula Ford champion is looking forward to taking to the track in Ipswich this weekend after completing the late deal to join the series.
“It’s very exciting,” said Michels. “It’s all a bit last minute, but I’m genuinely looking forward to the weekend.
“The amount of hype around the category has been unreal, so to have an opportunity to be on the grid is just amazing.
“I’ve done a couple of races in a Hyundai TCR in New Zealand, so I have a few miles in a TCR car, but they were different circumstances, completely different tyre, so this weekend will still be a steep learning curve.
“The opportunity to be a part of Wall Racing in this category is awesome, so I want to soak it all up, enjoy the experience and see how we go.”
David Wall, owner of Wall Racing, explained that, like with Cox at the last event, the deal is for now just a one-off for the fourth event of the season.
“At this stage, it’s just a one-off, but we are keen to see how Jordan goes in our car and the series,” said Wall.
“He has been racing a TCR car in New Zealand and has been doing well in the endurance series over there.
“We met Jordan at the launch of TCR New Zealand. He had a long discussion with [Team Manager] David Fyfe and we all felt that he’d be a good addition for our team.
“Our team is looking forward to Queensland Raceway. I feel like that if we can get the car right, the rest will take care of itself.
“John Martin has a pep in his step after The Bend, Tony D’Alberto has a point to prove and it’s always nice to have some fresh blood in the team.”