Trans-Tasman TCM flavour for 2023 Adelaide 500

Australia and New Zealand muscle cars will go head-to-head in a Trans-Tasman battle at the season-ending VAILO Adelaide 500.

Several entries from Touring Car Masters New Zealand will travel to Australia to compete against the Aussie stars of the Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters Series.

Up to a dozen cars will cross the Tasman, which will create a grid of over 30 cars.

The Trans-Tasman grid will first tackle the Bathurst International, before descending on the Supercars season finale, the VAILO Adelaide 500.

The Trans-Tasman initiative is the result of several years of planning and coordination by the categories on both sides of the Tasman.

The Kiwi series was established in 2020 to create a link between local competition and the Australian series.

The Kiwi competitors will compete at Mount Panorama on November 10-12 and before racing in Adelaide two weeks later, on November 23-26.

TCM NZ competitors already confirmed to attend include Greg Cuttance in a Dick Johnson Racing tribute entry.

Tony Galbraith (Charger), Hugh Gairdner (Pontiac Trans Am), Nick Ross (Dodge Challenger) and Dennis Lovegrove (Trans-Am) will also compete.

Andrew Anderson is set to drive his Pinepac XE Falcon, a car that was recently raced by Jett Johnson in New Zealand.

Andrew's son, Nathan, will steer his Grandad Bruce's 1969 Ford Mustang.

More New Zealand entries will be confirmed in the lead-up to the two events.

The Australian TCM series resumes at Winton on June 9-11.

"We've worked for a long time to get our Kiwi cousins back to Australia and it's great that we've been able to make it happen,” TCM Category Administrator Graham Sattler said.

"They're a great group of people and have worked really hard to grow TCM New Zealand in the last few years, even during the pandemic.

"Everyone is excited to have them join our field this November for what are going to be two of the largest Touring Car Masters events in the last five years.

"There's huge excitement from both sides of the Tasman to make this a success and we can't wait to welcome them to Australia this year."

Sharon Cuttance, TCM NZ Category Administrator, added: "Everyone here is really pumped, especially as we have just come to the conclusion of our 2022/23 season and how we have grown from 2020, from nothing.

"There's a group of people very eager to get to Australia and to go to Bathurst, some for the first time but some for their second or third trip.

"It's even more special then going down to Adelaide for the VAILO Adelaide 500, which is one of the largest motorsport events in this part of the world.

"Many of our competitors have never raced on a street circuit so it's going to be an exciting adventure for a lot of people."