Second Alfa Romeo breaks cover ahead of season opener

Ashley Seward Motorsport have revealed the striking, Italian-inspired livery that Dylan O’Keeffe will use for the upcoming TCR Australia season.

The Alfa Romeo Guilietta will sport the iconic green, white and red hues of the Italian national flag alongside the collection of sponsors that have been put in place for the programme, which kicks off in Sydney this weekend.

O’Keeffe has tested the Alfa at Winton Raceway in recent weeks and admitted it was providing a different challenge to the cars he has raced previously.

“Compared to the Porsches and Supercar I’ve raced previously, the TCR car has three main differences,” he said. “Firstly, it’s front-wheel-drive, which is the most obvious factor. It changes the way you balance the car on the throttle.

“Also, there’s no weight over the rear of the car, which means it takes time to get the rear tyres up to temperature – I think this will create some interesting moments in the early laps of races!

“The other big difference is the power delivery – the turbocharged engine isn’t as linear as a naturally aspirated car.

“It took me a couple of sessions to get used to at Winton, but by the end of the day I felt comfortable, and was doing some good times.”

O’Keeffe will drive one of two Alfa Romeos on the grid, with the being run by GRM for Jimmy Vernon.