News
Alfa Romeo team signs school kid for 2020 TCR season
Ashley Seward Motorsport has secured the services of 16-year-old Jay Hanson for the 2020 TCR Australia Series.
Hanson, who still has two years to complete at high school, will graduate from the Australian Formula Ford Championship and move into his first competitive season of touring car racing, driving one of ASM’s three Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloces.
The Victorian young gun will drive the Alfa that Dylan O’Keeffe used with great success this year, finishing fifth overall and taking two pole positions and four race wins.
This year, Hanson competed a full season of national Formula Ford competition, finishing seventh overall and capping off 2019 with a race win in the final race of the year.
Hanson had his first taste of the under two litre touring cars at Winton during the category’s driver evaluation day, sampling the Alfa Romeo back in August.
Hanson will be eligible for the Michelin Rookie Cup, with the winner securing a test with an international TCR team next year.
With his 2020 deal locked away, he will now complete another test at Winton on Wednesday (tomorrow) ahead of the second TCR Australia Series, kicking off with the non-championship Asia Pacific Cup at Albert Park as part of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in March.
ASM will grow to a three-car Alfa Romeo team in 2020, with Hanson the first confirmed driver in the expanded line-up. The other two drivers are expected to be confirmed in the new year.
QUOTES
Jay Hanson
Driver, ASM Alfa Romeo
“It’s awesome to join forces with Ashley Seward Motorsport in the Alfa Romeo,” said Jay Hanson.
“I can’t wait for season 2020 and some of the great racing that we’ve seen in TCR Australia.
“There’s going to be pressure on myself to at least finish in the top 10 for the year, but hopefully we can be in a position to get some podiums by the end of the year.
“TCR is a worldwide category, and there’s many places to go after the Australian Series. Eventually, I’d like to move overseas and race there, and the rookie prize to get a test with an international team is absolutely awesome.”
Ashley Seward
Owner, ASM
“It’s really exciting to have Jay join us for our TCR program in the Alfa Romeo,” said Ashley Seward.
“He did an exceptionally good job in Formula Ford, and we had an evaluation day and he did a great job in the car.
“The power to weight ratio of a Formula Ford to a TCR are very similar, so I reckon from what we’ve seen with him, there’s no reason why he can’t be challenging for podium finishes.”
“In terms of securing our other drivers, there’s lots happening behind the scenes. This year has been challenging – we have good car speed but we need to dot our Is and cross our Ts with a couple of aspects, but it was really a learning year.