Incumbent TCR Australia champion Will Brown has been named a member of the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Junior Driver programme which nurtures aspiring TCR talent into making the leap up to the World Touring Car Cup.
The programme will see Hyundai’s Customer Racing department provide Brown with engineer support and guidance from the outfits four current WTCR drivers.
An Erebus junior with a full-time Supercars drive on the horizon, Brown will have a second stint in this year’s TCR Australia championship with HMO Customer Racing in the Hyundai i30 N TCR.
“To be a part of the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Junior Driver program is a great honour,” said Brown.
“I’m looking forward to getting back on track for HMO Customer Racing in 2020 to defend my title, and also take advantage of this fantastic program which is designed to create a pathway into WTCR.
“I can’t thank Hyundai Motorsport and HMO Customer Racing enough for this opportunity.”
The 22-year-old will join TCR Europe trio Andreas and Jessica Bäckman, and Daniel Nagy in the programme.
The programme has already yielded success with 2019 graduate Lucas Engstler set to make his WTCR debut once the season kicks off in September.
“After only one year the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Junior Driver program has already proven to be a valuable part of our strategy to support Hyundai customer teams,” said Andrew Johns, Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Operations Leader.
“After a very strong season as part of the initiative Luca Engstler has been able to move into a full-time ride in WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup this year.
“With the quality of those that have been selected for this season, I believe that all of them have the capability to race at the highest level.
“With the support of the Customer Racing department’s engineers and the mentoring of the current crop of WTCR drivers I am confident that we can add to the program’s success story.”
Brown will partner Erebus’ David Reynolds in this year’s Pirtek Enduro Cup after starring in the co-driver seat in the team’s second car last season with Anton de Pasquale.
His TCR Australia title defence will begin when the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships season hits the track with a revised season-opener at Sydney Motorsport Park on August 15-16.