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Mundial - TCR

MUNDIAL - HYUNDAI MOTORSPORT

Sexta, 20 Julho 2018 10:36 | Actualizado em Domingo, 17 Março 2024 19:09

Hyundai Motorsport customer results round-up bulletin
 
  • BRC Racing Team drivers Gabriele Tarquini and Norbert Michelisz took their i30 N TCR to a victory apiece at the WTCR Race of Slovakia
  • Hyundai customers won both TCR Europe races at the Hungaroring, including a 1-2 finish for the M1RA team on their home track
  • Reigning national gravel champion Jordan Berfa scored a first tarmac podium in his i20 R5 at the Rallye Aveyron Rouergue.
 Hyundai i30 N TCR customers enjoyed their most successful showing yet last weekend (July 14-15), with the car claiming a total of 10 podiums across three championships. As the summer break looms for many on the circuit and in national rally championships, drivers continue to push for overall honours in the i20 R5.
 
Double win for i30 N TCR to close FIA WTCR European season
 
i30 N TCR customers BRC Racing Team lead the FIA World Touring Car Cup points’ standings after the three most recent races at the Slovakia Ring (July 13-15). The outfit’s two drivers – Gabriele Tarquini and Norbert Michelisz – claimed a victory each from the weekend.
 
Tarquini scored his victory in Race 2, following up his pole position and third place in the opening contest, while Michelisz claimed his first win at the controls of the i30 N TCR in dominant fashion in Race 3 – completing the Grand Slam of pole position, fastest lap and victory as he led every lap on the Sunday finale.
 
He was nearly joined on the Race 3 podium by MRacing driver Thed Björk, who fought through the field after a difficult qualifying session to cross the line in fourth place only a fraction of a second away from snatching third.
 
Not only does the BRC squad now lead the teams’ championship, but, courtesy of his Race 2 success, Tarquini also leads the drivers’ standings from MRacing owner/driver Yvan Muller. Muller himself finished in third place in Race 2 to put two i30 N TCR on the podium, however, he now trails Tarquini by the narrow margin of two points as teams and drivers now prepare for the summer break, and the four fly-away events that complete the inaugural FIA WTCR season.   
Gabriele Tarquini - i30 N TCR - WTCR Race of Slovakia
Norbert Michelisz - i30 N TCR - WTCR race of Slovakia
i30 N TCR claims another 1-2 in the USA
 
In the TCR class of the Pirelli World Challenge the Hyundai America supported Bryan Herta Autosport team delivered a fifth win from seven attempts in the first race of the annual Rose Cup weekend at Portland International Raceway (July 13-15). After missing out on pole position teammates Mark Wilkins and Michael Lewis made the decisive moves while lapping slower cars to make their way into first and second respectively, scoring a fourth 1-2 of the season for the i30 N TCR.
 
In Race 2 Lewis was able to match the pace of the race leader, but could find no way past the driver ahead around the 3,1 kilometre circuit scoring a second second position of the weekend to bring his personal tally of 2018 podiums to seven, after eight races of the season.
Bryan Herta Autosport - i30 N TCR - Portland International Raceway
Michael Lewis - i30 N TCR - Portland International Raceway
Hyundai fight at the front of TCR Italy
 
The i30 N TCR was also at the front of the pack in TCR Italy at Mugello (July 13-15). For the start of the opening race the front row of the grid was made up of two Hyundai – Pit Lane Competizione’s Nicola Baldan on pole position with Eric Scalvini, representing BRC Racing Team, alongside. After the start both were soon part of the fight for first, with both men taking the lead at different points during the battle.
 
Baldan’s was the last to mount a challenge for the win, with a final lap move that ended with a drag race to the line, and a winning margin of just 0.04 seconds. While he celebrated from the second step of the podium, Scalvini took the silverware for third. Federico Paolino, aboard the second of the BRC Racing Team entries took points for eighth position.
 
Baldan completed his result in Race 2, springing from seventh on the reverse grid to finish the opening lap in fourth, from where he was able to mount a challenge for the lead following a Safety Car period after a first lap incident. Scalvini had to take evasive action in the fracas, limiting him to only ninth placed finish while his teammate crossed the line in seventh.
Nicola Baldan - i30 N TCR - Mugello
Nicola Baldan - i30 N TCR - Mugello
Hyundai customers sweep TCR Europe’s Hungarian weekend
 
i30 N TCR drivers won both races at the fourth round of the TCR Europe championship at the Hungaroring (July 7-8), beating an incredibly competitive field in the process. In the opening event Target Competition’s Dušan Borković scored a third win of the season. The Serbian driver came out on top of a four-way battle for the lead, making up places after qualifying fourth in a difficult session on a wet track. He now lays only a single point behind the championship leader, with the second half of the season remaining.
 
In Race 2 at the Hungarian track Francisco Mora powered from Pole Position to take a first win at the wheel of an i30 N TCR. He was joined in his podium celebrations by his M1RA teammate Daniel Nagy, who finished second to complete a 1-2 for the squad at the home event. For Nagy, who also scored two podiums at the circuit as a WTCR Wildcard entry in a Hyundai earlier in the season, the second place completed a hugely successful weekend. He was the only man to stand on the podium at the end of both contests – after finishing third in Race 1 – and together the results cemented his third place in the championship, and mean that he will start the final six races of the season as part of the fight for the title.
 
After being one of those to struggle for a clean lap in qualifying Target driver Kris Richard was able to rely on the race pace of his i30 N TCR to score good points, recording a fifth in Race 1 and seventh in Race 2. In the second encounter he crossed the line one place behind his teammate Reece Barr who continues to show great pace in the car, despite his relative lack of experience in TCR machinery.
 
The seven Hyundai customer drivers at the event were completed by Igor Stefanovski and Cedric Piro, the latter making his debut in the car run by the Autodis by Piro Sport team.
Dusan Borkovic - i30 N TCR - Hungaroring
Francisco Mora - i30 N TCR - Hungaroring
Jordan Berfa takes maiden France Tarmac podium
 
Jordan Berfa scored a sensational overall podium on the Rallye Aveyron Rouergue (July 6-7), for his best result of the French tarmac championship season to date. Berfa and co-driver Damien Augustin were one of three i20 R5 teams to line up for the start of the event, alongside the Sarrazin Motorsport run car of Quentin Giordano and Yannick Roche and the Onyx Racing by Enjolras entered i20 R5 crewed by Vincent Leduc and Laurence Pelamourgues-Garric.
 
The rally started with Giordano setting the fastest time on the opening stage. However, a minor mechanical issue prevented him from delivering further on that promise. Berfa, meanwhile, made a consistently strong start, establishing himself in the top-five overall by the end of the first day. Their strong performance continued at the resumption. Twice the crew narrowly missed out on the top stage time, as they continue their development in their first tarmac season in the i20 R5 after winning the overall title in the national gravel championship last year.
 
For Leduc the rally was his first start in the national championship this year, and only his second competitive event since the millennium. However, he was quickly able to find performance from the i20 R5, finishing eighth in class among the 16 R5 runners entered for the weekend.
Jordan Berfa - i20 R5 - Rallye Aveyron Rouergue
Jordan Berfa - i20 R5 - Rallye Aveyron Rouergue
Twice the podium celebrations for Friulmotor
 
Italian i20 R5 customers Friulmotor continue to pursue victories across several countries and their two cars have taken a pair of second places in recent weeks. Vinicio Toffoli was able to take a very impressive second overall at the Rally della Carnia (July 7-8) to win the R5 class at the event, as well as beat several crews fielding former WRC machinery.
 
The team’s other second place came under the Hyundai Team Slovenija banner at the Rally Železniki (June 29-20). The squad enjoys the support of the national Hyundai distributor for their national championship campaign in the country and Claudio de Cecco continues to chase the title. The result helped to cement his place in second in the championship at the half-way point of the season with a long summer break between now and the next round of the series in September.
Claudio de Cecco - i20 R5 - Rally Zelezniki
Vinicio Toffoli - i20 R5 - Rally della Carnia
 Eddy Abou-Karam squares up to MERC field
 
The ranks of the Lebanon Rally championship were joined by the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) competitors for the latest event in the country, the Rally of Lebanon (July 6-7). Among the extra depth in the entry list i20 R5 driver Eddy Abou-Karam was able to fight for the podium places overall, challenging both his fellow Lebanon championship regulars and the visiting drivers.
 
His fourth place overall also gave him third in the national championship. He remains in third position in the national championship standings.
Eddy Abou-Karam - i20 R5 - Rally of Lebanon
Eddy Abou-Karam - i20 R5 - Rally of Lebanon
Portuguese crew extend points lead amid tight battle for rally win
 
Armindo Araújo maintained his lead in the Portuguese rally championship with a fourth place finish on the Rali de Castelo Branco (June 30-July 1). After taking victory in each of the series’ previous three rounds Araújo and co-driver Luis Ramalho were part of a four-crew fight for the victory and the podium spots throughout the rally. Despite the strong and consistent pace delivered by their Hyundai Team Portugal entered i20 R5 they finished only 0.3 seconds away from third position, with the entire top-four covered by less than ten seconds. With the result, however, they extended their advantage in overall standings.
 
They were joined in the top-ten results by Manuel Castro and Ricardo Cunha in their Racing 4 You run i20 R5. The duo finished ninth overall, eighth among the R5 entries for the rally.
Armindo Araujo - i20 R5 - Rali de Castelo Branco
Armindo Araujo - i20 R5 - Rali de Castelo Branco
Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Deputy General Manager Andrea Adamo said: “Our i20 R5 rallying customers are well placed in their national standings, and with the summer break now ahead for many we must now continue our support work to ensure they can resume their championship challenge for the second half of the year. The results of our TCR customers over the last weekend have been incredible. To have such strong results from different teams and different drivers in three separate series shows the performance of the i30 N TCR. For Hyundai drivers and teams to be leading the FIA WTCR at this point in the season proves that the car delivers strong pace on a wide variety of circuits.”


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