Take a look at some key results from our customers this weekend
Triumphant weekend gives Buchan championship lead
Two wins, part of a rare triple podium, at Sydney Motorsport Park (October 18-20) propelled Josh Buchan to the lead of the TCR Australia standings for the first time this year. The HMO Customer Racing driver enjoyed a dream weekend at the circuit, adding to his impressive record at the venue. Buchan qualified his Elantra N TCR on pole position, gaining on the then championship leader who could only qualify sixth.
Buchan converted his pole position into a lights-to-flag victory. Arguably more astounding was his Race 2 performance. From the back of the reverse grid, Buchan cut through the pack to finish third, his combined results from the first two races securing pole position for the third and final encounter of the weekend. He completed the meeting with a repeat performance from Race 1, leading from start to finish for his third win of the season. The triumphant weekend gives him a 36-point advantage going into the final weekend of the season at the Bathurst Mount Panorama circuit. However, he will have to carry the maximum 40kg Compensation Weight for the meeting.
Buchan’s team-mate Tom Oliphant scored a best finish for fourth, when he came to close to joining Buchan on the Race 1 podium, before a Race 2 retirement derailed his weekend. Still, he was able to recover to finish the weekend with fifth place in Race 3.
Elantra N TCR team-mates share TCR Japan victories
KMSA Motorsport drivers Jeong Weon Choi and Masanobu Kato shared the wins on offer from TCR Japan’s second visit of the year to the Twin Ring Motegi circuit (October 19-20). Kato started Race 1 from pole position, and took the lead from the start, with Choi a constant shadow, until lap eight, when the Korean driver crafted a way past his team-mate. Kato remained close behind, crossing the line less than a second behind Choi.
Rolls were reversed in Race 2, with Choi starting ahead and leading the early laps before Kato found a way through to the lead. Again, the pair were closely matched on track, through the Japanese Elantra N TCR driver was able to pull out more of a lead over his team-mate than seen in Race 1, winning by 1.6 seconds
Double podium set-up up exciting TCR China finale
Martin Cao will start the finale weekend of the TCR China just one point behind in the championship standings after a double podium in the series at the Zhuzhou International Circuit (October 18-20). The defending series champion finished second in the national series in both races, as the championship’s competitors were joined on track by the FIA TCR World Tour grid for the first time.
In Race 1 Cao held second of the TCR China runners for most of the event, protecting his position through two restarts following Safety Car restarts. In the second race he was able to take advantage of problems for his main title rivals. One stalled on the gird, falling to the rear of the pack, while the other – a victim of opening lap contact – was forced to retire. Their issues presented Cao with the lead of the TCR China runners, which he held for much of the race before being passes with three laps to go. He held onto second place, making up points to set-up a dramatic finale on the Macau Street Circuit, where the top drivers for the series will again be on the grid with the TCR World Tour entrants.
