Former Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia competitor Chelsea Angelo has secured a deal with Kelly Racing for the inaugural TCR Australia Series.
Behind the wheel of an Opel Astra, the 22-year-old will be part of the team’s four-car crusade for the series, joining former Virgin Australia Supercars Championship driver Alex Rullo and CAMS Australian Rally Championship regular Molly Taylor.
With Angelo’s inclusion making her the third female to join TCR Australia, along with teammate Taylor and Queensland-born Alexandra Whitley, the series’ 14th confirmed driver was excited with the opportunity at hand.
“It’s incredible to confirm that I will race in TCR this year,” Angelo said.
“I wasn’t sure what my racing options were at the start of the season, but when I saw that TCR was coming here, I always felt that it was a great category for myself.
“There’s a lot of ex-Supercars drivers in there, plus Porsche drivers, rally car drivers, a few females. It’s a real mixed bag.
“I’ve never raced a front wheel drive car before and I’ll be trying to get my head around it as fast as I can. It will be interesting.
“When I tested at Winton last week, one of the things I found tricky was trying to get the temperature of the rear tyres up. I’ve been speaking to a lot of people to learn as much as I can before we get to Sydney.
“I’m confident of getting my head around it all, but I love a challenge. I’m excited. I have absolutely no expectations, so it’s nice to go there with an open mindset.
“TCR is a great category. It’s known worldwide and it can open up doors to overseas racing, so to be able to bring that here is a great thing. And it will be an even playing field. I’m excited and can’t wait to get my bum back in seat.”
Angelo is considered one of Australian motor sport’s most talented female racers, with her hard work rewarded with an invitation to qualify for the international W-Series earlier this year.
While Angelo was unlucky not to make the final cut, the experience plus her previous stint in the Dunlop Super2 Series was enough for Kelly Racing owner, Todd Kelly to want to sign her.
“We have been speaking with Chelsea for some time and it’s great to have her locked in with our team,” Kelly said.
“Chelsea is still very young, but she has been racing at the top level of Australia’s national categories for some time. We have been keeping an eye on her so it’s great to see here progress her career into TCR with us.
“The Opel performed extremely well at the test and we really feel that it is going to be a strong contender in the series with Alex and Chelsea as the drivers.”
The first round of the inaugural TCR Australia Series begins this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park for the Shannons Nationals’ first meeting for the year.
Broadcast live, free and HD broadcast on SBS, all sessions will be streamed live on the nationals.com.au.
Click here to purchase tickets to the first Shannons Nationals for 2019.