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TCR Star Garland Joins S5000 Field
Supercheap Auto TCR Australia star Kody Garland will make his S5000 debut at Sydney Motorsport Park, driving for Garry Rogers Motorsport.Garland will take control of the chassis previously driven by James Golding, as the S5000 calendar links up with the Repco Supercars Championship for the remainder of 2023.
Garland will contest all three of the remaining rounds in the 2023 S5000 season, with an eye to fighting for the Tasman Series title in Adelaide.The addition of S5000 to Garland’s 2023 campaign comes as the next step in his career and is a welcomed return to rear-wheel-drive machinery.
In Aussie Racing Cars, Garland has cemented himself as a constant threat at the front with multiple race wins, and the leading points scorer in the partially completed 2021 season. A move to the Peugeot for this year’s season in TCR Australia has also seen Garland claim a podium finish, among some impressive drives through the field. Most recently a return to the NSW KZ2 State Championship netted Garland another karting victory.A series of outings in S5000 machinery across various GRM test days has allowed Garland to grow comfortable with the unique handling of the open wheel cars. The NSW based driver will also be boosted by the debut of a new tyre compound for the category in Sydney, reducing the advantage held by the category stalwarts.Round four of the S5000 season, where Garland makes his category debut, will take place at Sydney Motorsport Park from July 28-30.QuotesKody Garland, #41
“I’m excited for this opportunity and honoured that the team chose me to fill in the seat vacated by Jimmy Golding,” said Garland.“The S5000 cars suit the way I like to drive, they’re difficult cars to drive and you need to have a lot of respect for them otherwise they can bite you hard. I have had one serious test day in the S5000 so far, and a few laps in the car at various points over the last year or so. It’s all about building into it with the S5000, they’re the fastest cars in the country and it’s extremely rewarding when you get it right.“I am certainly aiming to get some good results, but I know there’s a difference in experience that I need to overcome first against the likes of Joey Mawson and Aaron Cameron. The new tyre compound that is being introduced will help level the playing field a bit, and then I’ll just be trying to take everything on board.“By the time we get to Adelaide and the Tasman Series round, I want to be putting myself in a position to perform at the very front. At the end of the day the worst thing for a racing driver is to be sitting around doing nothing, so I’m extremely grateful that I’ve been able to add S5000 to my calendar for the year,” concluded Garland.Barry Rogers, Director, GRM
”Our relationship with Kody goes back to the 2022 Combine, where he got to drive all three of our cars, and immediately he was very impressive in the S5000,” said Rogers.“The driving style of the S5000 really lends itself to the karting background that Kody comes from. We’ve used Kody for laps in the S5000 a number of times over the past year and he has been extremely reliable in those cars.“Jumping in at the midway point will certainly be a challenge for him, but we’ve got full confidence that Kody will be able to put together some superb performances,” concluded Rogers.