Michael Caruso will race for Ashley Seward Motorsport in the 2022 TCR Australia series, switching to the race-winning Alfa Romeo team for his second season in the category.
Caruso, 38, joined the grid in 2021 for his maiden season in the front-wheel drive touring cars, with the former Supercars ace going on to win at Sydney Motorsport Park.
After a slow start to the season, Caruso ended the year with four podium finishes, all coming within the final five races. He ultimately finished 14th overall in the drivers’ championship standings.
Whilst the team will be new, the car is familiar to Caruso, as he drove an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce in 2021 with the GRM outfit.
“When TCR first started in 2019, Ash Seward Motorsport was one of the teams that was immediately on the pace and winning races,” said Caruso, who raced in Supercars full-time from 2008 to 2018.
“Last year, the ASM Alfas also showed strong form with Lee [Holdsworth] scoring race wins and podiums.
“At the end of 2021, we had some very strong momentum – I finished on the podium in four of the last five races.
“Heading into 2022, the goal is to find the consistency we need to be able to fight for the championship and with ASM, I’m confident we can make that happen.
“Ash is a racer at heart – he’s super-competitive. His crew are all very motivated and it’s really invigorated me to get stuck into the season.”
Seward is looking forward to having Caruso race for the team, beginning with the season opener at Symmons Plains Raceway this weekend (11 – 13 February).
“Michael is a talented driver who has been fast in every car he has ever raced,” said Seward.
“Last year, he showed some great speed in TCR, especially in the second half of the season. He’s already familiar with the Alfa Romeo product, so we’re thrilled to have him on board.
“I’m really looking forward to the first round of the season at Symmons Plains; our cars performed very strongly there last year, so we should be able to hit the ground running.”