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2018 #7 World and life TCR Germany: a close battle for the title TCR Europe: a large crowd at Assen TCR Korea’s inaugural event Pirelli WC: the title goes down to the wire WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2018 NEWS HOME DRIVERS THE TCR 2018 SNAPSHOT World and life Editor in chief Fabio Ravaioli ([email protected]) Editors Alfredo Filippone ([email protected]) Mark James ([email protected]) Photography Photo 4 ([email protected]) Contributors Andreas Asen, Tom Blatter, Clovis Chooi, Lars Eriksson, Micke Fransson, Jake Galstad, Grigory Golyshev, How to make the sponsor happy! Gruppe C Photography, Heng Ying, Patrik Koziolek, LAT Images, Where: Road America at Elkhart Lake Lee Mun Yee, Tara Nam, What: Tom O’Gorman’s Audi returns to the pits after collecting a banner in the IMSA Continental Challenge race Vadim Nikishev, Oliver Runschke, Matt Sayle, Nate Siebens, Daniel Sporre, Salvatore Tarantino Published by WSC World Sporting Consulting Ltd 22 Eastcheap, 2nd Floor, What’s next London EC3M 1EU, in the world of TCR United Kingdom 1 September VLN Nürburgring Designed by 1/2 September TCR China Ningbo Inpagina s.r.l., via Giambologna 2, 1/2 September TCR Russia Kazan Ring 40138 Bologna, Italy 1/2 September Pirelli World Challenge Watkins Glen [email protected] 7/8 September IMSA Continental Sportscars Challenge 2H Laguna Seca 7/9 September 24H TCE Series 24H Barcelona 8/9 September TCR Germany Sachsenring 8/9 September TCR Scandinavia Rudskogen Reproduction in whole 8/9 September TCR UK Croft or part is prohibited without 14/16 September TCR Italy Vallelunga the publisher’s permission 15/16 September TCR Portugal & TCR Ibérico Braga 2 L’ART DU CHAMPAGNE SINCE 1836. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2018 competitive as a petrol-powered Touring Car and even more. We hope the track tests we are performing will encourage other brands to commit to the E-TCR championship.” Gené was pleasantly surprised by his first foray into the world of electric competition cars: “It delivers impressive acceleration, and the excellent distribution of its batteries gives it a low centre of gravity with a much better than expected driving feel. The only scope for improvement we see is with the braking, as it is obviously a heavier car and more difficult to stop with The Cupra e-Racer precision.” Dr. Matthias Rabe, SEAT Vice- president for Research and began its Development attended the test and commented: “With the Cupra e-Racer testing programme we want to bring racing to the next level, proving The development of the Cupra e-Racer system and that we can – the first ever fully electric energy recovery. reinvent competition Touring Car that was The goal of these motorsport and unveiled at the Geneva International sessions is to achieve Motorshow in March – has moved on continue making success. We are to the dynamic phase. adjustments and proud of the The first step was to check the maximise team that is integration of the electric battery performance and making this pack in a short test at Grobnik, in reliability of electric touring Croatia. The battery pack is made up every component. race car of 6,072 round cell batteries, which During the next possible.” is equivalent to a battery for 9,000 round of testing While waiting mobile phones. in September, to compete in A few days later, the Cupra technical engineers and the new E-TCR team directed by engineer Xavi Serra, technicians are championship, moved to Parcmotor Castellolí, near going to focus on the Cupra e- Barcelona to begin with the actual the lap times of Racer could track test programme. the electric make his Former WTCC race winner and Cupra racing car, in racing debut testing and development driver Jordi view of soon. “The Gené took the wheel of the car for a the participation first objective series of dynamic tests that were in the first is to compete used to verify the maximum output ever E-TCR in a race this of the electric motors, power championship. year, we will management with regards to the Cupra Racing do it if we are temperatures of all the elements and director Jaime Puig well prepared, face to face with the especially the batteries, and its explained: “We want to prove that rest of those involved in the TCR driveability, by closely examining this is the future of competition and series; of course out of the accelerator response, the brake that an E-TCR car can be as competition,” Puig concluded. 4 CUPRA TCR A CAR DESIGNED FOR AND BY REAL RACING LOVERS. p\_k_PH\kc3I|k_Ū(3|P_BkPp_3I)_p\Ś We live and breathe racing. It’s in our DNA. If you’re anything like us, you will understand. This urge to pave the road ahead for fellow racers. |e created the CUPRA TCRÖ£ĉ§ñýêêÞíøøº§ÕêÞñ_½Ö´ø§Õ ÞÕê§ø½Ö´½Ö|k_ºÕê½ÞÖñº½êŎ CUPRAOFFICIAL.COM (ÞÏÏÞĉýñÞÖ3Ick)_HÖ£k|3kk_Ɛýêíŕí½Ö´ WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2018 NEWS HOME DRIVERS TEAM Hungarian Rapsody at Assen NAGY JOINS BORKOVIĆ AND AZCONA IN THE TITLE FIGHT 6 STANDINGS EUROPE The first edition of the TCR Europe held Assen in the Netherlands, delivered win in Race 1 after passing Jean-Karl as full-fledged series is set for a more suspense and yielded the seventh Vernay’s Leopard Lukoil Team Audi RS3 thrilling finale. The last events of the and eighth different winners out of ten LMS, which had inherited pole position season, at Monza and Barcelona, will rounds! because pole-sitter Josh Files and his be worth being watched closely, as the Dániel Nagy and Attila Tassi, who had Honda Civic had to serve a three- battle for the title promises to be been shining since the start of the position grid penalty from the previous breathtaking until the very end. season, finally were able to climb onto round at the Hungaroring. Vernay, Instead of clarifying the situation at the highest spot of the podium, giving whose car had been severely damaged the top of the standings, the two races Hungarian fans plenty to cheer. in Free Practice after jumping on a of the fifth meeting of the series, at Nagy, at the wheel of the M1RA concrete kerb, could offer only little the historic and beautiful TT Circuit Hyundai i30 N, took an authoritative resistance to the Hungarian. 7 WORLD AND LIFE TCR 2018 NEWS HOME DRIVERS TEAM Files took a brilliant start from fourth on the grid and chased the leading duo until he started to suffer from a steering problem. From that moment onwards, his pace faded and he dropped back, eventually finishing in tenth position at the end, while Kris Richard took third. Richard’s Target Competition teammate Dušan Borković delivered a thrilling performance, as he was able to recover and finish sixth, a result that helped him to retake the lead in the standings with a margin of five points over Mikel Azcona who was joined by Nagy on equal points. Race 2 was even livelier, but had a similar script, with Tassi taking the lead from Azcona after a few laps and then delivering the victory in the Honda Civic of the Hell Energy Racing with KCMG squad. Second was an unexpected and very useful result for Azcona, who maintained his second position in the standings, only two points behind Borković, who salvaged a third place in what he defined “a crazy race” and that saw him swapping blows and paints with his teammate Richard. Azcona, whose PCR Sport CUPRA wasn’t completely at ease on the Dutch track, again proved his maturity: 8 STANDINGS EUROPE ASSEN – ROUND 9, SATURDAY 18 AUGUST 2018 DRIVER CAR TEAM 1 Dániel Nagy Hyundai i30 N TCR M1RA 14 laps in 25:08.183 2 Jean-Karl Vernay Audi RS3 LMS Leopard Lukoil Team 2.310 3 Kris Richard Hyundai i30 N TCR Target Competition 3.973 4 Stefano Comini Honda Civic FK7 TCR Autodis Racing by THX 5.477 5 Attila Tassi Honda Civic FK7 TCR Hell Energy Racing with KCMG 6.146 6 Dušan Borković Hyundai i30 N TCR Target Competition 7.863 7 Maxime Potty Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR Comtoyou Racing 9.135 8 Stian Paulsen Cupra TCR Stian Paulsen Racing 14.979 9 Mikel Azcona Cupra TCR PCR Sport 15.001 10 Josh Files Honda Civic FK7 TCR Hell Energy Racing with KCMG 18.203 Fastest lap: Dániel Nagy, 1:46.463, average 154.00 kph, lap 2 ASSEN – ROUND 10, SUNDAY 19 AUGUST 2018 DRIVER CAR TEAM 1 Attila Tassi Honda Civic FK7 TCR Hell Energy Racing with KCMG 13 laps in 25:57.016 2 Mikel Azcona Cupra TCR PCR Sport 1.053 3 Dušan Borković Hyundai i30 N TCR Target Competition 6.867 4 Stefano Comini Honda Civic FK7 TCR Autodis Racing by THX 12.093 5 Stian Paulsen Cupra TCR Stian Paulsen Racing 13.444 6 Kris Richard Hyundai i30 N TCR Target Competition 13.787 7 Jean-Karl Vernay Audi RS3 LMS Leopard Lukoil Team 13.977 8 Maxime Potty Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR Comtoyou Racing 15.267 9 Jens Reno Møller Honda Civic FK7 TCR Reno Racing 15.421 10 Reece Barr Hyundai i30 N TCR Target Competition 16.094 Fastest lap: Attila Tassi, 1:45.592, average 155.30 kph, lap 6 “There was no point in trying to keep fourth positions at the wheel of the at bay Tassi, who had a faster pace. Autodis Racing by THX Honda Civic. That would have allowed all the others The Swiss driver proved he has the to catch us up.