TCR Japan Series to kick off in 2019

WSC Ltd and Japan TCR Management, Inc. announced the birth of the TCR Japan Series that will join the global TCR community from 2019. The deal covers the next six years, until the end of 2024.
“We are very proud to see the TCR concept successfully taking root in Japan. Over the last two years a TCR class has been run within the frame of the popular Super Taikyu endurance series, showing how competitive and entertaining TCR races are. We are confident that the upcoming TCR Japan Series, with its sprint races, will be an instant success with Japan’s competent motorsport fans and will attract other Japanese car manufacturers,” commented WSC president Marcello Lotti.
Akira Kurashita, president of Japan TCR Management, Inc. echoed: "We are extremely delighted to become part of the TCR family, which is one of the fastest growing sprint race series in the world.  The TCR Japan Series will be held in conjunction with Super Formula, Japan's top category of open-wheel racing. Fans will be able to watch both the high-level of touring car racing, as well as top-class formula race action on the same day. I certainly hope that motor sports enthusiasts will come out to the track to watch our races."
The event format of the TCR Japan Series will include a Practice session on Friday and two sets of Qualifying (20-minute) and Race (23-minute plus one lap), one each on Saturday and Sunday.

TCR World & life – the new issue is online !

“TCR World & life”, the e-magazine dedicated to all the TCR series and championships worldwide.

In this issue:
    - Spotlight: The Czar’s triple crown
    - WTCR @ Ningbo and Wuhan
    - TCR Europe @ Monza
    - TCR Asia @ Shanghai
    - TCR China @ Ningbo and Shanghai
    - TCR Germany @ Hockenheim
    - TCR Italy @ Monza
    - TCR Korea @ Inje
    - TCR Russia @ Grozny
    - TCR Scandinavia @ Mantorp Park
    - TCR UK @ Donington Park
    - Endurance: Super Taikyu @ Motegi
    - Endurance: VLN @ Nürburgring
    - Endurance: CER @ Jarama
    - Endurance: SIC 888Km @ Shanghai
    - Endurance: IMSA CTSC @ Road Atlanta
    - Endurance: 24H TCE Series @ Spa
    - Standings of all TCR series
    - Three questions to: Reece Barr

Read ‘TCR World & life’ now !

TCR UK @ Donington Park
Lloyd is crowned the first Champion

Daniel Lloyd became the first-ever winner of the TCR UK title when he took victory in the series’ penultimate race of the 2018 season at Donington Park. His rival for the title, Oliver Taylor, could only finish fourth and so Lloyd clinched the title with one race in hand.
WestCoast Racing had locked out the first three positions in Qualifying, with Lloyd on pole for Race 1 ahead of Swedish siblings Andreas and Jessica Bäckman. Taylor qualified fourth and knew his only real chance of taking the title fight to the final race lay in making a good start. He duly passed Jessica Bäckman, but then slid wide and ran through the gravel. He then worked its way through the field in a bid to keep the fight alive but Lloyd was pulling away from the pack on each lap and took a dominant lights-to-flag win. Andreas Bäckman finished second and Finlay Crocker claimed his second podium finish of the season in third place. Taylor was fourth and quick to congratulate Lloyd on securing the title.
In Race 2, pole-sitter Carl Swift’s hopes of a maiden victory were quickly ended when he was passed by the JP Racing Honda Civic FK2 of Josh Price who became the fifth driver to win a round of the TCR UK series. Swift’s challenge faded as the race went on, allowing his teammate Stewart Lines to battle first with Andreas Bäckman and then Lloyd before the Maximum Motorsport driver eventually finished second to claim his maiden podium finish. Lloyd rounded off his season with third place and yet another visit to the podium.
The results from two final races of the season left Lloyd with a 61-point advantage over Taylor, with Andreas Bäckman a further 45 points behind in third place.

Photos: TCR UK-Matt Sayle

IMSA @ Road Atlanta
Podium result secures title for Long and Casey

Tom O’Gorman and Kenton Koch won the TCR class in the final round of the IMSA Continental Tire Challenge at Road Atlanta, while Tom Long and Britt Casey jr. were crowned the first champions in the category.
Compass Racing’s Long and Casey, Jr. in the #77 Audi RS3 LMS were ready to defend their five-point margin against teammates Rodrigo Sales and Kuno Wittmer in the #74. And it was shaping up to be a tantalizing battle, as the #74 had mechanical issues in Qualifying, meaning the team would have to climb from last in the field for a shot at the title.
However about 40 minutes into the race, the #74 machine got away from its driver, Sales, and went into the wall. The car was done and the #77 secured the championship by 13 points, 318-305. Third in final standings was the second eEuroparts Racing car #10 of Lee Carpentier and Kieron O’Rourke that outscored the third Compass Racing car #75 of Pierre Kleinubing and Roy Block by one mere point.
The #77 went on to finish third behind O’Gorman and Koch in the #12 eEuroparts Racing Audi. Michael Johnson and Stephen Simpson in the #54 JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR would complete the podium in second place.

Photos: IMSA-LAT Images

24 TCE Series @ Spa-Francorchamps
Father and son clinch the European crown

The Dutch pair of Ivo and Rik Breukers, father and son, clinched the title in the TCR class of the 24H TCE Series by finishing second in the 12H Spa-Francorchamps.
After setting pole position and despite a collision with another car that dropped them to eight in the class during the early stages of the race, the Breukers drove their Red Camel-Jordans.nl SEAT León DSG for 221 laps around the 7km Belgian racetrack. They crossed the finish line one lap behind their countrymen and rivals in the title fight Gijs Bessem and Harry Hilders who won the class in their NKPP Racing by Bas Koeten Cupra DSG.
Eventually, Ivo and Rik Breukers were crowned champions with a margin of just four points over Bessem and Hilders.
Third in the class to secure a 1-3 for Bas Koeten Racing, was the LMS Racing by Bas Koeten Racing Cupra DSG shared by the Finnish trio of Antti Buri, Olli Kangas and Kari-Pekka Laaksonen, the winners of last year’s race.
The 24H TCE Series’ final round will be the 24H COTA at Austin, Texas, on 16/18 November that will award the Continents title.

Photos: 24H Series

The first Honda Civic TCR arrives in Australia

The first Honda Civic Type R TCR has landed in Sydney, Australia, ahead of the inaugural TCR Australia Series next year.
The Civic Type R is owned by Honda’s official global partner in racing, J.A.S. Motorsport, with the intention of partnering with a local Australian race team to enter the TCR Australia Series in 2019. Sydney-based Wall Racing is currently assisting J.A.S. Motorsport to house and prepare the car.

Matt Braid
, Director Australian Racing Group said: “It’s great to see another brand of TCR car arrive in Australia. You can really start to feel the momentum building now ahead of the 2019 season. At this stage, the car is on loan from J.A.S, however, the intention is for someone to purchase the car, and secure a local distributor for the Civic Type R. In the meantime, Wall Racing has been kind enough to keep the car at its race shop and will assist with running the car in upcoming test sessions.”