Caruso to race GRM Alfa in TCR Australia
Supercars race winner Michael Caruso has announced a two-year TCR Australia programme with Garry Rogers Motorsport.
Caruso will drive one of the team's Alfa Romeos Giulietta Veloces with major backing from Valvoline Australia, the TCR programme to dovetail with his Supercars endurance commitments with Tickford Racing.
He'll start the season with the Asia Pacific Cup at Albert Park on Australian Grand Prix weekend, before doing all seven TCR Australia rounds and the 500-kilometre race at the Bathurst International in December.
The deal marks a return to GRM for Caruso, who spent five seasons racing Supercars for the squad, a stint that yielded a win in Darwin in 2009 and a podium finish at Bathurst later that same year.
He also made a two-round cameo for GRM in Supercars last season while Richie Stanaway was sidelined with injury.
"I’m really excited to partner with Valvoline and the Garry Rogers Motorsport team for the next two years in the TCR series,” said Caruso.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with both organisations in the past, and I have so many great memories and still hold many life-long friendships from those years.
"GRM as an organisation has a fantastic, hard working group of people which are like family to one another and that resonates with me.
“I raced as a Valvoline driver when I first started in the Supercars championship back in 2008, and it’s great to reconnect with this multi-national company that is so influential not only within Australia but all around the world.
“I watched the first season of TCR Australia and you can see the potential that it has. I knew I wanted to be a part of it, and it is even better that I get the chance to link up with Valvoline and GRM to do it. I know that as a team we have all of the right ingredients to make it successful.
“I believe we are definitely a chance to give the series a shake up. The Alfa Romeo has shown that it is a strong package – both in Australia and in other TCR competitions around the world.
“There is already so much excitement around the 500-kilometre race at Bathurst and it is something that I’m very much looking forward to competing in. Everyone loves endurance-style racing at Mount Panorama and that race will be the perfect way to end the season.
"I definitely want to be the inaugural winner and have my name on that trophy.”
Caruso is set to sample the Alfa for the first time with a private test at Sandown today, ahead of the pre-season test at Winton on February 26.
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