Dylan O’Keeffe is expecting kerb usage to be a big talking point in Round 6 of the TCR Australia Series at Sandown this weekend.
In other categories, drivers can gain significant amounts of time by riding the raised ripple strips through Turns 2 and 3, but the low-slung TCR cars are yet to be tested across the punishing terrain.
“I know from racing other cars at Sandown, that the fastest approach to a lap at Sandown involves firing across those kerbs; if you don’t, you can lose a lot of time,” O’Keeffe said.
“However, the TCR cars have a low ride height and are very stiffly-sprung compared to other cars, so it will be interesting to see how they handle that sort of aggression. I think it will be a balancing act between outright speed and risk management.”
While his title hopes were compromised by a deflated tyre in Race 2 during the previous round at Winton, the 21-year-old maintained his top-two position in the series standings, and believes the Sandown circuit will be better-suited to the Ashley Seward Motorsport Alfa Romeo Guilietta.
“Winton was probably the least-suitable circuit for our car, mainly because of the gearing which made it hard to race effectively when we were in traffic,” O’Keeffe said.
“On paper, Sandown looks like it will be a much better track for the Alfa, so hopefully we can maximise our performance.”
The Sandown circuit is the home venue for O’Keeffe and his ASM team, and representatives from several of the team’s key sponsors will be in attendance.
“We’ve been very fortunate to receive support from a number of businesses this season, and I’m looking forward to giving them an insight into the TCR car and series, and making sure they have someone to cheer for on the track,” O’Keeffe said.
“All the pressure in the championship is off us now; we can focus on winning some more races and finishing off the season strongly.”
TCR Round 6 schedule
Friday, 20 September
11:00am – Practice 1 (30 min)
2:05pm – Practice 2 (30 min)
Saturday, 21 September
10:15am – Qualifying (20 min)
1:10pm – Race 1 (30 min)
Sunday, 22 September
12:15pm – Race 2 (30 min)
1:20pm – Race 3 (30 min)
Where to Watch
Races 1, 2 and 3 will be shown live on SBS. All sessions will be live streamed on the Shannons Nationals website and Facebook page.
