TCR / 29 July 2024

Civic Type R TCR dominates on Super Taikyu return

A one-two finish for M&K Racing in Japan's hugely popular Super Taikyu series continued a wonderful season of success for the Honda Civic Type R TCR last weekend while there was also a Panamanian pole for the JAS Motorsport-built car.

 

Super Taikyu

M&K Racing made their first series appearance since winning last year's ST-TCR title with the Civic and were instantly the team to beat in the class at Autopolis.

The #97 entry of ex-Formula 1 racer Shinji Nakano, Mitsuhiro Endo, Ryusuke Masumoto and Shion Tsujimoto qualified on pole position ahead of the sister #98 car of 'Kizuna', Lee Jung Woo and Sena Yamamoto.

Fortunes swung during the race with each car looking strong at different periods during the five-hour race, #97 dropping back early on due to braking issues, but regaining the lead with 90 minutes to go.

A late charge by Woo turned a 30-second deficit into just 3.3s over the final hour, but ultimately he ran out of time to overhaul the #97 car.

 

TC Americas

Sebastian Ng put the latest competition-ready Civic Type R TCR on its first pole position in the series at Autodromo Panama in Panama.

The Team AP Racing driver was less than a tenth of a second clear of the competition in a damp qualifying and turned that into a second-place finish in the opening race. He did not finish the second one.