PRESS RELEASE FROM AUSTRALIAN RACING GROUP
The Lynk & Co 03 TCR model, which has seen strong international success with a total of seven World Titles since its introduction in 2019, will debut in the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series during the 2023 season.
Autoglym Team ASM (Ashley Seward Motorsport) will represent the Lynk & Co brand, which was formed as a joint venture between Geely Auto Group and Volvo Car Group, in TCR Australia following acquisition of a Lynk & Co 03 TCR race car, which is en route to Australian shores.
ASM is expected to take delivery of its first Lynk & Co 03 TCR in time for a competition debut at the second round of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series at Phillip Island in May.
The Lynk & Co 03 TCR will be piloted by British Touring Car Championship race winner, Tom Oliphant, who made his TCR Australia Series race debut at the season opening round in Tasmania.
Established in 2016, Lynk & Co has quickly grown as an innovative and disruptive brand in the global automotive industry. The brand plans to enter the Australian car industry in coming years.
Boasting premium, youth-oriented design and ‘mobility solutions for the connected generation’, Lynk & Co’s passenger vehicles are made available to motorists around the world through subscription-based car sharing as well as traditional purchasing.
ASM will receive customer racing support directly from Geely Group Motorsport. The 03 TCR chassis ASM will acquire is an ex-Cyan Racing car previously raced in the FIA WTCR World Touring Car Cup and undergoing a thorough rebuild ahead of its Australian competition life.
Lynk & Co has enjoyed international success in TCR, winning back-to-back WTCR drivers’ titles with French driver Yann Ehrlacher in 2020 and 2021, and also achieving a hat-trick of Teams’ Championships from 2019-2021.
The 03 TCR tasted success in TCR Asia where David Zhu led a Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing 1-2, and also won the 2022 TCR South America title with Fabricio Pezzini.
Cyan Racing has confirmed its participation in the new-for-2023 TCR World Tour, which includes two rounds to be contested alongside the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, including the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International in November.
Over the past three full TCR Australia seasons, ASM has entered Alfa Romeos for front-running drivers Dylan O’Keeffe (2019), Lee Holdsworth (2021) and Michael Caruso (2022). The team has taken at least one victory in each season.
ASM also competes in the Trans Am Series, plus Porsche racing in both Carrera Cup and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge.
All of the racing action can be seen live and ad-break free on Stan Sport, plus live and free-to-air coverage on 9GEM during the Saturday of every round.
Ashley Seward
Team Principal, Autoglym Team ASM
“We are proud to announce a significant new partnership with Geely Group Motorsport which will see Lynk & Co 03 TCR model represented in TCR Australia with our team,” said Seward.
“We have been working with Geely Group Motorsport for some time on this project and they have been great to deal with throughout. We believe Lynk & Co offers the best TCR customer program in the world and have no doubt we can add to the success the brand has had in the highest levels of TCR globally.
“We feel that Lynk & Co, with our new driver Tom Oliphant and our valued sponsor Autoglym, will be a formidable combination and we can’t wait to get the car to Australia and out on track.”
Ron Hartvelt
Customer Sport Director, Geely Group Motorsport
“We are delighted to welcome Ashley Seward Motorsport to our growing Customer Sport family and to see the Lynk & Co 03 TCR race on yet another continent, especially one with such strong motorsport heritage as Oceania,” said Ron Hartvelt, Customer Sport Director of Geely Group Motorsport.
“TCR Australia is one of the toughest and most professional TCR championships out there and we look forward to supporting Ashley Seward Motorsport in their programme, wishing them the best of luck this season.”