Duvashen Padayachee
Carrera Cup regular Duvashen Padayachee will make his Supercheap Auto TCR Australia debut aboard a Hyundai i30 N that won its last start.
Padayachee’s car, which appears alongside Nathan Morcom and Josh Buchan for HMO Customer Racing, will be driven to victory by Morcom in the final race of the 2019 season at The Bend Motorsport Park.
The 30-year-old will drive the # 130 for his one-off appearance as part of a 22-car field for the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour on the Easter weekend.
“I had an evaluation day at Wakefield Park which was very nice. I really enjoyed the car, ”said Padayachee, whose family owns a large Hyundai forklift dealer in Australia.
“It’s a real racing car and that’s what led me to do the first lap. It’s just a one-off right now, but I’ll see how it all turns out.
“Bathurst is great. I love the track, it’s the best track here in Australia. These cars will fit the track, the races will be really good too.
“I’ve never seen Supercars or Super2 as a category where I can compete due to work commitments. The reason I wanted to do TCR is because it’s one of the most competitive and professional classes that Australia has outside of Supercars / Super2, “he added.
“You always want to compete against the best. There are current Supercars drivers, Supercars co-drivers and young talents.
“It has a great mix of driving talent and professional teams. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to be part of it.
“You can go door to door, overtaking is easier than in other classes, and the BOP (Balance of Performance) ensures that it is tight between brands. I think that will make the race even better, especially on a track like Bathurst. “
Scott Fulcher, HMO Customer Racing team manager, said Padayachee was impressive when he first tested the car.
“At Wakefield Park, Nathan set him a base time and they were very close in time during the day,” said Fulcher.
“He has experience in other categories and is certainly no fool. It should definitely do well despite not having miles with front-wheel drive. “
TCR will run three races during the race from April 2-4.
