TCR Veranstaltungen 2016 International und National

TCR Veranstaltungen 2016 International
1.   03. April* - Bahrain - Sakhir - (Bahrain GP-F1)
2.   24. April - Portugal - Estoril - (GT Open and TCR Portugal)
3.   08. Mai - Belgien - Spa - (World Endurance Championship)
4.   22. Mai - Italien - Monza - (with TCR Italy)
5.   05. Juni - Österreich - Salzburgring
6.   19. June - Deutschland - Oschersleben - (TCR Germany)
7.   03. Juli - Russland - Sochi
8.   18. September* - Singapur - Marina Bay - (Singapur GP-F1)
9.   02. Oktober* - Malaysia - Sepang - (Malaysia GP-F1)
10.   ?     Shanghai - China - (China Touring Car Championship)
11.   ?     Thailand - Buriram
12.   20. Nov. - Macau - Guia Race

* = in Verhandlung

Der TCR-Germany-Kalender 2016
1.   17.04. Oschersleben
2.   01.05. Sachsenring
3.   24.07. Red Bull Ring/Spielberg
4.   07.08. Nürburgring
5.   21.08. Zandvoort
6.   02.10. Hockenheim
7.   eine siebte Veranstaltung ist in Planung

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Rounds 21 & 22 - Suncity Group Macau Guia Race
19.-22. November 2015

Comini is crowned first champion of TCR International Series
(TCR/22.11.2015) Stefano Comini made it! The Swiss driver was crowned the first TCR International Series champion, after putting on an impressive performance throughout the entire weekend at Macau.
He had arrived at the Guia circuit with only two points of advantage over Pepe Oriola, but with the great handicap of having never raced on this very special track. After a quick learning process over the two free practice sessions, he took a key psychological advantage over his direct rival in qualifying, beating him and extending his lead in the championship to four points.
Then he managed to stay ahead of the Spaniard in both races. The duel between the two was particularly fierce in Race 2 and ended with the Craft-Bamboo Lukoil driver retiring with a pierced radiator following the many contacts. Comini rounded things with a superb maiden win at Macau, his sixth of the season, ahead of team mate Andrea Belicchi, a 1-2 that allowed Target Competition to win the Teams' title as well, overturning the situation in the last race.
Rob Huff also made history, by taking pole position and winning Race 1 - his personal eighth victory on the Guia circuit. That was exactly what the British star had come for, enjoying greatly his first TCR experience in the WestCoast Honda Civic. Jordi Gené and Comini completed the Race 1 podium, with Mikhail Grachev of Liqui Moly Team Engstler taking third in Race 2, his second podium of the season.
Macau's tradition was respected, as both races saw a spectacular first lap crash and were both red-flagged.

Race 1 - Rob Huff rules again in Macau
As expected, Rob Huff dominated Race 1 to take his 8th success at Guia Circuit. Driving the WestCoast Racing Honda, the Brit still had a sweating kick-off, as his start from pole position was not great and he only managed to emerge ahead of Jordi Gené and Stefano Comini with a late braking at the Lisboa corner. From there on, Huff had a much quieter morning, with the three title contenders (Gené, Comini and Pepe Oriola) minding their crown affair.
The three ran almost bumper-to-bumper for the entire race but positions did not change and the only serious attack from Oriola in the last lap went fruitless. This allowed Comini to exted his lead to 7 points ahead of Race 2, with Gené definitely out of contention. Jordi Oriola took an excellent fifth, after passing the Honda cars of Gianni Morbidelli and Kevin Gleason. Andrea Belicchi was eighth ahead of the VW Golf of Lorenzo Veglia, with Sergey Afanasyev taking the last point. Rodolfo Ávila finished in 12th place and won the TCR Asia race for Asia Racing Team.
The race was marked by a big accident in the middle of the group during the first lap that involved Francisco Mora, Kenneth Lau and Frank Yu, prompting a red flag and a 3-lap safety-car period. Mora was sent to the hospital for medical checks.

Key moments
Start - Comini and Gené sprint from row 2 and sandwich Huff; the three go abreast all through the straight, with Huff retaking the advantage at the Mandarin bend ahead of Gené, Comini, P. Oriola, Morbidelli and Gleason. It's drama behind them: Mora hits the wall and spins, Yu brakes in avoidance, Lau hit him and crashes into Mora's car. The race is red-flagged while Mora is brought to hospital for checks.
Lap 1 - The safety car is deployed; Ho pits with electrical gremlins.
Lap 4 - The race restarts, with Huff leading from Gené, Comini, P. Oriola, Morbidelli and Gleason.
Lap 5 - Morbidelli defends fifth place from Gleason, J. Oriola, Afanasyev and Belicchi.
Lap 6 - Huff's lead is now 2 seconds over the trio Gené, Comini, P. Oriola; Nash, who was 15th, pits with engine overheating; Jordi Oriola passes Gleason and Morbidelli, climbing to fifth.
Lap 8 - The attention shifts to the three men fighting for the title, as they are closest as ever; Veglia and Grachev pass Afanasyen for 9th and 10th.
Lap 10 - P. Oriola makes an attempt to pass Comini at Lisboa, but at no avail; there is some bumping at Melco hairpin, but nothing changes; Comini is third behind Huff and Gené and ahead of P. Oriola; Afanasyev passes Grachev for 10th.

Race 2 - Comini survives pile up to win race and title!
Stefano Comini rounded a perfect Macau weekend by securing the title and taking his maiden win at the Guia circuit. The Swiss racer showed temper and coolness by resisting all the attacks of Pepe Oriola, which included a number of bumps and contacts.
The Spaniard's efforts not only resulted vane, but eventually took a toll on his Craft-Bamboo Lukoil SEAT, which stopped along the track three laps from the end.
The race started in the most spectacular and dramatic way, as the two men on the front row, Rob Huff and Jordi Gené, collided prompting a massive pile-up that left eleven cars out of contention. Only nine made it to the restart, which clearly had the Comini-Oriola duel as the main attraction, and what an attraction it was! Fierce and manly, the duel stayed correct, but nothing could bend Comini's determination. It was a sad race also for the younger of the Oriola brothers, Jordi, who was bound to a podium finish but had to retire two laps from the end, which gave Mikhail Grachev (Liqui Moly Team Engstler VW Golf) his second podium of the season. Morbidelli (slowed by a drive-through), Ávila (who scored his second victory of the day in TCR Asia), Holland and K. Chan were the other race finishers.

Key moments
Grid - Nash doesn't show up after his Ford suffered from engine problems in Race 1.
Start - Gené and Huff take a good start, but they make contact and hit the wall initiating a massive accident; Veglia crashes hard in to the wall and a pile-up ensues; the race is stopped and eventually no less than 11 cars suffer from damage beyond repairs: Huff, Gené, Veglia, Gleason, Files, Wong, Choi, Cunnington, S. Chan, Ho and Afanasyev.
Lap 2 - At the rolling restart behind the safety car, Comini keeps the advantage, with P. Oriola trying an unsuccessful move on the outside at the Lisboa braking; Morbidelli is given a drive through for a grid infringement.
Lap 3 - Morbidelli stops to serve the sanction; Comini leads from Pepe and Jordi Oriola, Belicchi, Grachev, Avila, K. Chan and Holland.
Lap 4 - P. Oriola keeps the pressure, touching Comini's bumper on a couple of occasions.
Lap 5 - Comini leads from the Oriola brothers, the three being very close; the Swiss pulls slightly away in the straights, but seems a little bit slower in the twisty section.
Lap 6 - Again, P. Oriola tries a move at Lisboa on the outside line and this time there is a clear contact; J. Oriola and Belicchi are catching the leading duo.
Lap 7 - Comini pulls slightly away; Morbidelli passes Ávila for 6th.
Lap 8 - There is more bumping at the Lisboa braking, but this time P. Oriola's SEAT gets the worst of it and stops with a pierced radiator; Belicchi takes second from J. Oriola.
Lap 9 - The younger Oriola is given a drive through for trespassing the white line at pit exit, which gives third to Grachev.
Lap 10 - The race ends with Comini finishing the job ahead of teammate Belicchi.

PREVIEW Suncity Group Macau Guia Race

(TCR/4.11.2015) Macau hosts the grand finale of the TCR International Series
The Macau Guia circuit will provide the most stunning setting for the grand finale of the TCR International Series' inaugural season. The 6.1 km street circuit is rated as one of the most challenging and demanding by all the drivers who have raced there and the Macau Guia Race - first held in 1972 - is regarded as one of the most sought-after trophies in the careers of the top touring car drivers from all over the globe.
The 2015 edition marks the beginning of a new era for the Guia Race with the introduction of the TCR-specification machines, the newest generation of touring cars.

To fit into the programme of the Suncity Group 62nd Macau Grand Prix, the TCR International Series has partly adapted its timetable and format. Two thirty-minute Free Practice sessions will be held, one on Thursday and the other on Friday, while a forty-minute Qualifying session, split into Q1 (25 minutes for all drivers) and Q2 (15 minutes for the fastest twelve in Q1), with a five-minute break in between, will take place on Saturday.
The two back-to-back 10-lap races will then be run on Sunday. The Grid for the second race, that will also award the Guia Race trophies, will be based on the final results of the first race.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR is ready for maiden track test
Italian engineering company Romeo Ferraris have distributed the first pictures of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR they are developing. "It has been hard work, because we had in mind the target of running the Giulietta before the end of the season. Finally the first car was completed and the engine tested on the bench with promising results. We are now ready to begin the technical development on the track," said Mario Ferraris.
The company hoped to complete the maiden test during the first week in November, in time to fly the car to Macau and take part in the final event of the TCR International Series. "Unfortunately that plan proved to be a bit too optimistic. On top of this, we did not want to risk that lack of preparation and experience could affect our first appearance in the championship. Especially not on a difficult track like Macau!" explained Ferraris.
The Giulietta TCR is due to be tested in the middle of next week somewhere in Italy with Mario Ferraris and former Alfa Romeo WTCC factory driver Salvatore Tavano sharing driving duties. The Italian engineering firm has planned to produce the first contingent of ten TCR cars by April 2016. The estimated selling price will be 98,000 euros (plus data acquisition and tax).

Ecco i dati della Giulietta TCR:
Motore: 4 cilindri in linea, 1742cc.
Trasmissione: Trazione anteriore, cambio Sadev a 6 marce a innesti frontali.
Sospensioni: Anteriore: McPherson. Posteriore: multilink.
Freni: Anteriore: 6 pistoni, dischi da 378mm. Posteriore: 4 pistoni, dischi da 290mm.
Dimensioni: Lunghezza 4351mm, larghezza 1950mm, passo 2659mm.

Suncity Group Macau Guia Race - the event at a glance
Lap distance: 6.12 km
Race distance: 10 laps or 35 minutes (61.20 km)
Start: standing

Timetable:
Thursday, 11:25/11:55 - Free Practice 1
Friday, 12:30/13:00 - Free Practice 2
Saturday, 07:30/08:15 - Qualifying
Sunday, 10:05 - Race 1
Sunday, 11:20 - Race 2

All times: local (GMT +8)

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Buriram: Tomas Engström fährt zwei Mal in die Punkte

(VW/4.11.2015) Thomas Engström hat beim vorletzten Lauf zur Touringcar Racer International Series (TCR) doppelt gepunktet. Der Schwede belegte am Steuer des neuen Volkswagen Golf für die Rennstrecke in den beiden Rennen auf dem Chang International Circuit in Buriram (T) die Plätze acht und sechs. Engström holte dadurch insgesamt zwölf Punkte.
Mikhail Grachev im zweiten Volkswagen Golf erlebte hingegen ein rabenschwarzes Wochenende und sammelte keine Punkte. Sieger der beiden Läufe waren die beiden Meisterschaftskonkurrenten Stefano Comini (CH) und Pepe Oriola (E). Die Seat-Piloten trennen in der Gesamtwertung nur zwei Zähler. Comini liegt mit 299 Punkten vorne.
Das TCR-Saisonfinale steigt am 22. November auf dem legendären Stadtkurs von Macao.

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24H SERIES introduces a class for TCR cars

(TCR/2.11.2015) WSC Ltd. and CREVENTIC announced an agreement to include a class for TCR-spec cars, ruled by the TCR Balance of Performance, in the 24H Series from 2016.

The 2016 24H Series will kick off on 14-16 January with the 24H Dubai. Five other rounds will follow: 12H Mugello (18-19 March), 24H Silverstone (1-3 April), 12H Zandvoort (6-7 May), 24H Paul Ricard (15-17 July), 24H Barcelona (2-4 September) and 12H Epilog Brno (7-8 October).

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Opel Astra TCR: Neuer Tourenwagen für den Kundensport präsentiert

(Opel/15.10.2015) Bei der Präsentation der TCR-Rennserie (Touring Car Racing Series) hat Opel auf dem Circuit Jules Tacheny in Mettet erstmals seinen neuen Kundensport-Tourenwagen gezeigt. Der Opel Astra TCR vereint Seriennähe mit modernster Renntechnik sowie einem hoch effektiven Sicherheitskonzept und ermöglicht den Opel-Teams damit den Einsatz bei Sprint- und Langstreckenrennen - wie den 24 Stunden auf dem Nürburgring - mit dem technisch unveränderten Fahrzeug.

Angetrieben wird der Fünftürer von einem hoch effizienten Zweiliter-Turbomotor, der es auf eine - vom Reglement definierte - Leistung von standfesten 330 PS bei einem maximalen Drehmoment von 420 Newtonmeter bringt. Reichlich Power, die bei einem Leergewicht von 1200 Kilogramm reichlich Schub in allen Lebenslagen garantiert. Die Kraft wird über ein sequenzielles, per Schaltwippen am Lenkrad bedientes Sechsgang-Renngetriebe auf die Vorderräder übertragen. Den Kraftschluss stellt eine Zweischeiben-Sintermetall-Motorsport-Kupplung her. Beim Runterschalten sorgt ein automatisiertes Zwischengassystem für Stabilität. Verzögert wird der Rennwagen über 378-Millimeter-Bremsscheiben und Sechskolben-Bremssättel vorne sowie 265-Millimeter-Bremsscheiben nebst Zweikolben-Sätteln hinten. Die Bremsbalance kann der Fahrer vom Cockpit aus verstellen.

Das Fahrwerk ist rundum einstellbar und verfügt über modernste Dämpfertechnik. Relevant für die Fahrzeugabstimmung ist auch die effiziente Aerodynamik, die einen verstellbaren Frontsplitter und Heckflügel beinhaltet - beides aus Kostengründen Einheitsbauteile, die an allen TCR-Fahrzeugen identisch sind. Elektronische Assistenzsysteme wie ABS und ESP verbietet das Reglement.

Um sicherzustellen, dass die Opel-Kundenteams den Astra TCR mehrere Jahre ohne technische Veränderungen einsetzen können, weist das Fahrzeug bereits jetzt Features auf, die der Automobilsport-Weltverband FIA erst für 2017 verbindlich vorschreiben wird - wie etwa den 100-Liter-FT-Sicherheitstank

Mit dem Engagement in der Touring Car Racing Series setzt Opel eine lange, erfolgreiche Tradition im Tourenwagensport fort. Neben den Werkseinsätzen in DTM oder STW war der Kundensport stets eine tragende Säule im Motorsport-Engagement von Opel. Die TCR passt in ihrer konzeptionellen Ausrichtung perfekt zu dieser Philosophie - mit seriennahen, dabei aber leistungsstarken und optisch beeindruckenden Tourenwagen, die zu bezahlbaren Kosten einsetzbar sind, trifft die TCR genau den Puls der Zeit und die Bedürfnisse der interessierten Privatteams.

Opel findet in der TCR auch in Bezug auf die involvierten Märkte ein perfektes Umfeld vor, um sein neues Volumenmodell im Renneinsatz vorzustellen. Die verschiedenen nationalen Championate, insbesondere die neue deutsche TCR-Serie (ADAC TCR Germany) unter Federführung des langjährigen Opel-Partners ADAC bieten für Opel und seine Kundenteams ab 2016 ebenso ein ideales Spielfeld wie die europäische Meisterschaft. Mit diesem dreistufigen Konzept - nationale und kontinentale Meisterschaften sowie die globale TCR International Series - ist sichergestellt, dass Kundenteams mit ein und demselben Rennfahrzeug weltweit an den Start gehen können.

Auslieferung ab Ende Februar 2016 an ausgewählte Kundenteams
Der Astra TCR wird in enger Zusammenarbeit mit dem langjährigen Opel-Partner Kissling Motorsport aus Bad Münstereifel entwickelt. Noch im Oktober sind erste Funktionstests vorgesehen. Ab Ende Februar 2016 wird eine limitierte Stückzahl des Opel Astra TCR an ausgewählte Kundenteams geliefert. Das rennfertige Fahrzeug kostet 95.000 Euro (zzgl. MwSt) und ist damit im Wettbewerbs-Umfeld konkurrenzfähig positioniert.

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Präsentation Opel Astra TCR am 15. Okt. 2015

Opel präsentiert den neuen Tourenwagen am 15. Oktober in Belgien
(Opel/1.10.2015) Die Entwicklung des neuen Opel Astra TCR für die junge und schon sehr erfolgreiche Touring Car Racing Series (TCR) schreitet planmäßig voran. Der auf dem neuen Opel Astra basierende Kundensport-Tourenwagen wird der Weltöffentlichkeit anlässlich der offiziellen TCR-Präsentation am 15. Oktober 2015 auf dem Circuit Jules Tacheny im südbelgischen Mettet vorgestellt.

Entwicklung des rund 330 PS starken Rennwagens verläuft planmäßig
Der von Opel Motorsport in Zusammenarbeit mit dem langjährigen Technikpartner Kissling entwickelte Astra TCR verfügt über einen rund 330 PS starken Zweiliter-Turbomotor und eine Anzahl technischer Leckerbissen. Mit der Symbiose aus seriennaher, dabei aber äußerst leistungsstarker und spektakulärer Technik setzt das Rennfahrzeug die große Kundensport-Historie des Rüsselsheimer Automobilherstellers fort.

TCR als ideales Einsatzgebiet für hochkarätigen Tourenwagen-Kundensport
Die zur Saison 2015 ins Leben gerufene junge TCR-Serie bietet das perfekte Spielfeld für professionelle Kundenteams. Dank der dreistufigen Plattform kann ein TCR-Fahrzeug mit ein und derselben Homologation in verschiedenen nationalen und kontinentalen Meisterschaften sowie der globalen TCR International Series eingesetzt werden. Mit der ADAC TCR Germany wird auch Deutschland eine nationale TCR-Rennserie erhalten. Darüber hinaus wird beim ADAC 24h-Rennen Nürburgring eine eigene TCR-Klasse ausgeschrieben, was die Vielzahl der Einsatzmöglichkeiten für den Opel Astra TCR weiter erhöht.

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ADAC TCR Germany geht ab 2016 an den Start

(ADAC/25.9.2015) Der ADAC bringt ab 2016 mit der ADAC TCR eine neue Tourenwagen-Serie an den Start. Das Konzept der TCR (Touring Car Racing), das Mehrmarken-Tourenwagensport zu attraktiven Budgets ermöglicht, ist 2015 erfolgreich auf internationaler Ebene gestartet. Die ADAC TCR Germany zählt im kommenden Jahr zu den ersten Tourenwagenserien, die das neue Konzept auf nationaler Ebene umsetzen. Die ADAC TCR Germany verspricht spektakulären und spannenden Tourenwagensport und wird gemeinsam von Engstler Motorsport und dem ADAC e.V. grundsätzlich im Rahmen des ADAC GT Masters ausgetragen. Eine Vereinbarung über die Ausrichtung der ADAC TCR Germany wurde im Rahmen des ADAC GT Masters auf dem Sachsenring zwischen Engstler Motorsport und dem ADAC e.V. geschlossen. Geplant ist, dass der TV-Sender SPORT1 einzelne Rennen der ADAC TCR Germany im Fernsehen überträgt.

In der ADAC TCR Germany treten ab dem kommenden Jahr Tourenwagen wie Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Opel Astra OPC, Seat Leon oder Volkswagen Golf an. Die seriennahen Tourenwagen werden von einem Zwei-Liter-Turbomotor mit rund 320 PS angetrieben und bieten mit einem Anschaffungspreis zwischen 80.000 - 100.000 Euro preisgünstigen Tourenwagensport. An jedem Rennwochenende sind zwei Sprintrennen vorgesehen.

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Singapore 2: Gené claims victory in the second race after a solo flight

Jordi Gené dominated the second race at Singapore's Marina Bay Street Circuit. The Spaniard pipped Tomas Engström at the start, resisted the Swede's attempt to regain the lead during the first lap and then bid farewell to the rest of the field on his way to claim his third race win of the season. Behind him, Mikhail Grachev seemed capable of achieving a podium position for the Volkswagen Golf, but in the latest stages the Russian's pace faded and he dropped down.

Stefano Comini and Pepe Oriola delivered a great show in a fight for the third place that lasted for most of the race; eventually they found themselves promoted to second and third respectively when Grachev slowed down with technical issues. Gianni Morbidelli managed to score a precious fourth place that keeps him in contention in the fight for the Drivers' title.
The Singapore event propelled Comini on top of the standings, 11 points ahead of Oriola and 30 of Gené; Morbidelli lies fourth with a gap of 47 points. Michael Choi of Prince Racing encored his yesterday's victory in the TCR Asia Series, beating George Chou and Frank Yu; Kenneth Lau crossed the line in third, but was eventually penalized for jump start.
The championship will resume on October 19 and 20 at Buriram, Thailand, for rounds 19 and 20.

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Singapore 1: Gleason wins night race as Comini hits troubles

Stefano Comini was set to claim another victory as he had led for most of the distance and built a gap ahead of his competitors, when suddenly Kevin Gleason arrived on his heels and overtook him on lap 8. The American driver defended the lead in the last two laps and claimed his second victory of the season, while Comini salvaged a valuable second place. Another close fight took place between Gianni Morbidelli and Pepe Oriola; eventually the Italian crossed the line in third place, inches ahead of his rivals.
Oriola's teammates Sergey Afanasyev and Jordi Gené came home in fifth and sixth, while Mikhail Grachev kept at bay Lorenzo Veglia and Loris Hezemans to score a brilliant seventh. Fermando Monje claimed the last point position in tenth. Michael Choi of Prince Racing Team provided the icing of the cake for Honda as he won the race of the TCR Asia Series. Luca Rangoni managed to complete the race at the wheel of the Top Run Subaru, despite he only hit the track on the formation lap for the race.

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Rounds 17 & 18 - Singapore - 18/20 September 2015: The TCR International Series is back on the Formula 1 stage

The TCR International Series resumes this weekend after the summer break, when rounds 17 and 18 take place at Singapore's Marina Bay Street Circuit as support races of the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The event marks the first time the championship has run on a street circuit and at night. Just as was the case for the first two race meetings of the TCR International Series' maiden season, within the Grands Prix of Malaysia and China, the timetable has been adjusted to fit into the F1 schedule. Track activity will begin on Friday, September 18 th, with back-to-back Free Practice sessions of 25 minutes each. The 30-minute Qualifying session will take place Saturday afternoon, September 19 th, followed by Race 1 at 22.25, immediately after the F1 Qualifying. The second race will open Sunday's programme at 16.30. The circuit is laid out in the Marina Bay harbour zone and passes through some of the most famous of Singapore's locations, such as Republic Boulevard, Stamford Road, the Padang with the City Hall, Anderson Bridge, the Esplanade, the Float Stadium and the Singapore Flyer. It has hosted the F1 Grand Prix since its inauguration in 2008.

TCR in Singapore - the event at a glance
- Lap distance: 5.06 km
- Race distance: 10 laps (50.65 km) or 25 minutes
- Start: standing
- Grids: determined by Qualifying results (Q1+Q2) with top-10 reversed for Race 2

Timetable:
Friday, 15:00/15:25 - Free Practice 1
Friday, 15:50/16:15 - Free Practice 2
Saturday, 15:45/16:15 - Qualifying (Q1 + Q2)
Saturday, 22:25 - Race 1
Sunday, 16:30 - Race 2

all times: local (GMT+8)

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Rob Huff to join WestCoast Racing for Macau Guia Race

(TCR/10.8.2015) Rob Huff, one of the greatest touring car racers of his generation and the undisputed 'King of Macau', will join WestCoast Racing for this year's Macau Guia Race, the final event of the 2015 TCR International Series.

The 2012 FIA World Touring Car Champion has achieved no fewer than seven race wins in the former Portuguese dominion over the course of a decade at the pinnacle of international touring car racing and will likely have a shot at increasing his tally driving a JAS Motorsport-built Honda Civic TCR.

"Macau's Circuito da Guia is quite simply the most challenging racetrack I've ever raced on and my record is strong there. I'm really pleased to have been invited to drive in the TCR International Series finale there and I am confident we will have a competitive package for this truly unique event," said Huff who added:
"It also serves as a great opportunity to team up with my young protégé Kevin Gleason, who has emerged as a race winner in the inaugural season of the TCR International Series. It will be a lot of fun and I'll certainly be trying to get more Macau wins!"??

WestCoast Racing Team Manager, James Nixon, said: "Rob is widely regarded as one of the world's best touring car drivers and is unquestionably the most successful driver ever to compete in Macau so we are delighted to have the opportunity to welcome him to WestCoast Racing for the event to bolster our existing squad."

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Opel develops new Astra OPC for TCR International Series

Opel Motorsport has announced that the new Astra OPC is being developed according to the TCR technical regulations for national and international customer racing.
The racing car, based on the new Astra K, will celebrate its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in September.

The Astra TCR is powered by a two-liter turbo-charged engine having an output of 330 bhp and a maximum torque of 410 Nm.

"Touring car racing has always been an important part of Opel. The philosophy of the new TCR series corresponds to our idea of customer racing. We want to give ambitious privately owned teams a platform for exciting sport at reasonable costs," said Opel Group CMO Tina Müller.
The Opel Astra TCR is currently under development and the technical specifications will be announced at a later date. Testing of the new customer sports touring car is set to start in October.

TCR International Series promoter Marcello Lotti commented: "We are very pleased with Opel's decision. We knew they were seriously evaluating the TCR concept in the latest month, and now the announcement that the new Astra is being developed in TCR-specs makes us very proud and adds another premier automobile brand to the TCR world."

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Rounds 15 & 16 - Red Bull Ring, Austria - 11/12 July 2015

RACE REPORT
Volkswagen Golf wins on debut, as Oriola is the new points leader

It was an exciting and historic weekend at the Red Bull Ring for the TCR International Series, as the much-awaited debut of the new Volkswagen Golf TCR not only materialized, but ended in glory, as Pol Rosell took a superb win in Race 2.
The 23-year-old Spaniard, who participated in the development programme of the Golf, made perfect use of the pole position on the reversed grid to keep everybody at bay, resisting in the final laps to the attacks of Pepe Oriola and Jordi Gené, the three signing an all-Spanish (and Catalan) podium.
Vokswagen becomes the fourth different brand to win a race on the maiden season of the series, joining SEAT, Honda and Audi. Oriola, third in Race 1, was the great winner of the weekend with respect to the title bid. He left Austria as the new leader of the standings, two points ahead of Stefano Comini and 24 of Gené; Morbidelli, Belicchi and Gleason are not much further away, a situation that anticipates a thrilling final stretch of the season in Asia. Target Competition signed a one-two in the first race, with Stefano Comini winning ahead of Andrea Belicchi, after the stewards imposed a post-race penalty to Gianni Morbidelli. The WestCoast Racing driver was sanctioned for the many contacts that marked the race and confirmed the heated permanent duel with Comini. With a braking failure putting an end to his Race 2, Morbidelli's weekend ended bitterly.
The fight for the Teams' title is also expected to be very intense, with Craft-Bamboo Lukoil having reduced the gap from Target Competition to 14 points. The TCR International Series will be back after the summer break, in Singapore (September 19 and 20) for rounds 17 and 18; this will be the third of the 2015 events held within F1 Grand-Prix weekends.

Race 1 - Comini inherits win after Morbidelli's penalty
TCR drivers delivered an exciting first race at the Red Bull Ring. Gianni Morbidelli defeated Stefano Comini, his main rival in the championship fight at the end of a tough battle, but was later demoted by a penalty.
Comini led for most of the race but could not keep Morbidelli at bay in the final laps. The fight on the track was followed by a hot exchange of accuses between the two rivals and eventually Morbidelli was stripped of his victory by a 30-second time penalty that demoted him out of the point-scoring positions.
The Stewards of the Meeting deemed that the Italian driver had behaved unsportingly, hitting several times the cars of Comini, Belicchi and Oriola. Close behind the two duellists, Andrea Belicchi and Pepe Oriola had their own fight for third; Belicchi crossed the finishing line ahead by inches. The first four drivers classified were covered by only 1.2 seconds.

Race 2 - Rosell scores maiden win for Volkswagen
The debuting Volkswagen Golf TCR took its maiden win in the TCR International Series in only its second race, as Pol Rosell managed to keep the pole advantage from lights to flag with a perfect and faultless performance.
The Liqui Moly Team Engstler-run car preceded the two Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil SEAT cars of Pepe Oriola and Jordi Gené who put big pressure throughout the race on Rosell, but unsuccessfully. With three of their representatives on the podium, it was also a triumphant day for Catalan (and Spanish) motor racing.
The best Target Competition SEAT cars and WestCoast Racing Honda cars had a more difficult afternoon. Comini salvaged a ninth after his car got damaged in various incidents, while Belicchi had to stop with mechanical problems. In the Civic camp, Morbidelli fell victim of a mistake that sent him into the gravel, while Kevin Gleason finished the race, in P5.
Mikhail Grachev took 6th, ahead of Lorenzo Veglia and Michela Cerruti, who both made a good race. The final point was for Gabriele Marotta.

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Rounds 15 & 16 - Red Bull Ring, Austria - 11/12 July 2015
TCR International Series returns to Austria

PREVIEW
The TCR International Series returns to Austria six weeks after racing at Salzburgring; the eight race meeting of the season will take place this upcoming weekend at Spielberg's Red Bull Ring.
This is the first time the championship shares the event with the European Le Mans Series and the Formula Renault 3.5; together the three categories will provide over 13 hours of track action, treating Austrian fans to a motorsport festival with the best of European endurance, single-seaters and touring car racing.
The circuit was completely re-built twice since it was inaugurated in 1969 with the name Österreichring. It hosted the Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix from 1970 to 1987 and then again from 1997 to 2003 after it was re-designed and renamed A1-Ring. Its latest rebuilding dates back to 2011, after it was acquired by Red Bull following a few years of inactivity, which made possible to revive the Austrian F1 GP from 2014.
The TCR programme will follow the usual pattern: Saturday will feature two thirty-minute Free Practice sessions and one thirty-minute Qualifying, split into Q1 (20 minutes for all drivers) and Q2 (10 minutes for the fastest twelve in Q1).
The two races will then take place on Sunday morning over a distance of 60 kilometres.

Live streaming and timing available from Red Bull Ring
The TCR International Series event at the Red Bull Ring will receive extensive coverage on the Internet. Live streaming will be available on the series' official website www.tcr-series.com . The two 14-lap races will be streamed live on Sunday: Race 1 at 08:25 and Race 2 at 11:35 local times. Live timing will also be also available on the official website, covering all Saturday's sessions and Sunday's races.

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Rounds 11 & 12 - 12. Mozartpreis Salzburgring, Austria - 30/31 May 2015
Gleason and Nykjær wrote history at the Salzburgring

RACE REPORT
Keeping up with its long-standing touring car racing tradition, the beautiful track of Salzburgring produced two close and interesting races. Kevin Gleason took a well-deserved maiden win in the TCR in Race 1, becoming the eighth different race winner in the series (in only 12 rounds) and the first US driver to win an international touring car race. He also gave the Honda Civic his fourth success of the season.
In Race 2, Michel Nykjær became the third driver to clinch more than win: the Dane kept the lead in from lights to flag, just as Gleason did in Race 1, confirming his incredible personal record on this track. Nykjær has won every time he has raced on the Salzburgring, regardless of the series he was competing in, and earned the status of 'Salzburgring Meister'.
The SEAT and Honda cars evenly shared podium finishes today, with the other Target drivers, Stefano Comini and Andrea Belicchi, coming home second and third in Race-1 and Pepe Oriola and Gianni Morbidelli clinching the rostrum in Race-2. With the top title bidders having all mixed fortunes, the situation in the overall standings looks pretty close, with six drivers within 48 points. Morbidelli keeps the provisional lead by 18 points on Comini and 22 on Oriola.
The TCR International Series will resume on June 21st at Sochi, Russia, for Round 13 and 14.

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Rounds 11 & 12 - 12. Mozartpreis Salzburgring, Austria
30/31 May 2015 - Gleason claims his second pole in breathtaking qualifying

QUALIFYING REPORT
After the very close races last Sunday at Monza, the competitors of the TCR International Series put in another thrilling show during today's Qualifying at the Salzburgring.
In a breathtaking session, Kevin Gleason won his second pole position of the season after Sepang and his WestCoast Racing Gianni Morbidelli completed an all-Honda front row. Gleason and Morbidelli were the last competitors to cross the line under the chequered flag, when it seemed that Stefano Comini had secured the pole.
It was a bit of a shock for the Swiss driver and the Target Competition crew, but also for most of the insiders, especially after the SEAT cars had dominated the second Free Practice and Q1.
In Q2 the gaps were so small that before the last lap of the Honda duo the first four positions (Comini, Gleason, Oriola and Morbidelli) were covered by only 78 thousandths of a second. Eventually, less than five tenths separated the ninth - Michel Nykjær - from pole position.
Sunday's races will go green at 12.35 and 14.05 local time, with a distance of 15 laps each.

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Rounds 9 & 10 - Monza, Italy - 23/24 May 2015
Magic Monza produces thrilling races, as Morbidelli wins twice

RACE REPORT
The 'Temple of Speed' kept up with its reputation and offered two superb races, probably the most thrilling seen so far in the TCR International Series and a delight for touring car fans at the track and at home.
The sight of up to four cars fighting side-by-side on the straights or of intense duels in the fast corners and in the chicanes was really captivating!
The other great winner of the weekend was Gianni Morbidelli. At home, the Italian driver of WestCoast Racing took a maximum of trophies and points, clinching the pole and a double victory, becoming the first driver to win both races in the same event in the TCR. Still, the Honda Civic, had to sweat to achieve this sensational harvest, against the SEAT cars of Pepe Oriola and Jordi Gené (who each took a second), Andrea Belicchi (third in Race 1) and Stefano Comini who missed the podium but was instrumental in putting in the show, as Always.
Fernando Monje rounded an excellent weekend for Campos Racing, by taking a podium finish in Race 2, the first one for the Opel Astra OPC, which has impressed by progress made. There were more first satisfactions, as rookies Zsolt Szabó and Antonio D'Amico scored points in both races and the Proteam Racing Ford Focus driven by Tom Boardman, took its first point.
Stewards' investigations after the races resulted in two reprimands to Morbidelli for clashing with Comini and a drop of five grid positions for the next race to Afanasyev for the Race 1 pile up that involved Grachev and Nykjær.
Things are close in the championship standings, with Morbidelli retaking the lead ahead of comini, Oriola and Gené, all within 26 points.
The TCR International Series will resume next week, for Round 11 and 12 at Salzburgring, in Austria.

Race 1 - Hard-fought win for Morbidelli
Gianni Morbidelli took the second win of the year for WestCoast Racing and the Honda Civic in a lively Race 1 at Monza that was much closely-fought than expected. The advantage shown by the Civic during free practice and qualifying did not materialize in the race, under a nice sunshine, which forced Morbidelli to the limit for passing Belicchi and Comini before taking the lead from Oriola at mid-race.
The Spaniard finished a close second ahead of Belicchi and Gené, while 'warrior Comini' had to retire two laps from the end after running wide at the Lesmo 2 corner. It was not the only spectacular incident, as Grachev, Afanasyev and Nykjær were eliminated in a three-way collision while fighting for the eighth position.
It was a race of premieres, with Fernando Monje taking a superb fifth in the Campos Racing Opel Astra, while there were point finishes for rookies Zsolt Szabó and Antonio D'Amico. Last but not least, Tom Boardman managed to finish the race with the Ford Focus ST, giving the first point to Proteam Racing's car.

Race 2 - Morbidelli wins battle, Monje on the podium
Gianni Morbidelli rounded a great day at Monza, by taking win also in Race 2 and becoming the first driver to win both races of a TCR event. Race 2 was thrilling from start to end, with a great fight and close duels involving Morbidelli, Comini, Gené and Monje, who all led at some point, plus Oriola and Belicchi. With often three and even four cars side-by-side on the straight and diving abreast into the first chicane, the show was superb.
Eventually, Morbidelli made the winning move on Comini, who had started last and climbed up in his usual flamboyant style, at the beginning of the last lap, with the Swiss losing a few position in the incident. Second place was for Jordi Gené, while Fernando Monje gave a first well-deserved podium to the Campos Racing Opel Astra OPC after having led for five laps and having performed a great show. Comini and Belicchi took fourth and fifth, with the last points going to Szabó, Veglia, Grachev and D'Amico.

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Rounds 9 & 10 - Monza, Italy - 23/24 May 2015
Morbidelli and Honda claim second pole position

QUALIFYING REPORT
Under a cloudy sky and a threat of rain, Gianni Morbidelli drove his WestCoast Racing Honda Civic to lap the Monza circuit in 2:00.737, which gave him the second pole position after Shanghai.
The Italian driver was virtually uncatchable for the other competitors who had to settle for the positions immediately behind him. Eventually Stefano Comini and Pepe Oriola - currently first and second in the points ahead of Morbidelli - managed to qualify second and third.
Fernando Monje and Campos Racing kept on with the aim of improving the performance of the Opel Astra OPC; their work paid off as Monje was able to consistently close the gap and fight for third position on the grid. His final sixth place was a promising result in view of the next races.
Tom Boardman was set to drive the Ford Focus at a decent pace when he had to stop on the track because a number of indicators were signaling possible technical failures. Eventually his worries proved to be unfounded and he was able to drive back to the pits. Another disappointed driver was Morbidelli's teammate, Kevin Gleason, who crashed with a puncture on his first qualifying lap and spoiled his chances to provide the icing on the cake for WestCoast Racing.
Sunday's races will go green at 12.35 and 14.05 local time, with a distance of 11 laps each.

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