Take a look at some key events for our customers this weekend
TCR Eastern Europe title battle reaches Most
There has been little to choose between Elantra N TCR man and defending champion Maťo Homola and i30 N TCR driver, teenage Attila Bucsi in TCR Eastern Europe this year. Both have three wins, having split honours at all three rounds of the season so far. Only Homola’s better qualifying performance has allowed him his current six-point lead in the standings. This weekend the season reaches Most Autodrom in the Czech Republic – the first of two home rounds for the Janík Motorsport squad responsible for Homola’s car. The squad are clear leaders in the Teams’ championship, with Czech drivers Adam Kout and Jiří Zbožínek backing up Homola with strong results of their own. The previous round at the Slovakia Ring brought the best result so far of Zbožínek’s debut season in the series as he took a podium finish in Race 1, with Auto Klub Dubrovnik driver Žarko Knego also taking his best finish of the season with his Elantra N TCR in the same contest. Both drivers will hope to continue their strong form after a near two-month break between rounds.
HMO Customer Racing team aim for another strong outing in Australia
This weekend the TCR Australia season roars back into life at Queensland Raceway. Defending TCR Australia champion Josh Buchan scored his first round win of 2024 after switching back to the Elantra N TCR for last month’s meeting at The Bend Motorsport Park, making ground on the current points leader. Queensland’s simple-looking circuit layout disguises a track that frequently delivers close racing – last year’s TCR Australia weekend being a perfect example. The long straights and heavy braking areas could prove challenging for Buchan, who will carry the maximum compensation weight into the weekend. He has never scored a podium in his career at the circuit, but another strong weekend would continue to add momentum to his title defense. His HMO Customer Racing team-mate, Tom Oliphant will aim to bounce back from a disappointing previous outing in the i30 N TCR, though he will have to overcome a grid penalty in Race 1 for an engine change after the last outing.
Three Elantra N TCR teams on IMSA grid for Road America
After scoring a superb podium on the series debut earlier in the year, Starcom Racing return to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge grid for the Road America weekend. Drivers Andy Lally, and Nick Tucker – who combined to finish second at Sebring – both return for this weekend’s two-hour event at the Wisconsin circuit – one of the best-known venues in America. Their #12 entry increases the number of Elantra N TCR at the event to six, joining the #99 car from the Victor Gonzalez Racing Team and the four full-season entries from the Hyundai Motor America-supported Bryan Herta Autosport outfit, including the combination of Harry Gottsacker and Robert Wickens, who scored their first victory together at the previous event in Canada, and Denis Dupont and Preston Brown – the best placed of the Hyundai drivers in the championship in second.
