Tom Oliphant is hoping to build on his maiden victory in TCR Australia, after ascending to the top step of the podium for the first time at Winton Motor Raceway last weekend.
Going into the weekend, things looked far from certain for the former British Touring Car Championship racer.
Having switched to a newer Lynk & Co 03 for the previous round at Phillip Island, Oliphant and his Ashley Seward Motorsport team were forced to revert back to an Alfa Romeo Giulietta for Winton, following delays in overseas parts deliveries.
With Oliphant having some familiarity with the car after making his début in the chassis at Symmons Plains earlier in the year, he was able to qualify in tenth on Saturday, a second off pole.
Converting that into a tenth-place finish in race one, even though he ran as high as fifth early on, also gave him the reverse-grid pole for race two, and Oliphant duly converted it into a lights-to-flag win over rookie Clay Richards.
Oliphant thus became the first Brit to win in TCR Australia and the first international victor since 2019.
The 32-year-old Wollongong resident concluded his weekend with an eighth-place finish; although he gained ground at the start to run in fourth he began to struggle with tyre wear against rivals with newer rubber.
“When it was confirmed we couldn’t race the Lynk & Co this weekend, I don’t any of us could have imagined we’d come away as race-winners,” said Oliphant.
“The Autoglym Ashley Seward Motorsport team did a simply phenomenal job with the Alfa though.
“We kept making progress every session with the car and after struggling with grip in race one, they made some spot on changes for race two.
“Once I’d got the early gap, I was able to warm up the tyres, settle into a rhythm and felt comfortable managing the lead.
“I’m delighted to get my first win in the championship, and considering everything we’ve had to go through to get here, it feels even sweeter.
“This win is a testament to everyone in the team, they have a great attitude and they never gave up. Now we’re ready to build on this and enjoy more success with the Lynk & Co going forward.”