TCR / 30 May 2023

Double win in Italy and first World Tour podium for Civic Type R TCR

The Honda Civic Type R TCR scored a double win last weekend as MM Motorsport and Kevin Giacon continued their unbeaten run in the Coppa Italia Turismo.

There was also a landmark result for the JAS Motorsport-built car at Spa as Nestor Girolami scored its first TCR World Tour podium finish.

 

Coppa Italia Turismo

After a double win at the Vallelunga season-opener, Kevin Giacon came into the Varano weekend as the series leader and he instantly set the pace in practice and qualifying aboard his MM Motorsport Civic Type R TCR.

He led into the first corner of the opening race and was never headed, though his path to victory in Race Two was somewhat harder.

Beaten off the line by his fellow front-row starter, Giacon tried several times to take the lead during the opening corners and eventually did so after contact with his chief rival towards the end of the first lap.

Giacon's double win increased his points lead with a third of the season now complete.

Samulele Piccin, driving an older FK2 Civic, did not make it past the first corner of the opening race as he was pitched into the wall in an incident that brought out the safety car. His Civic was too badly-damaged to be fixed in time for Race Two.

 

TCR World Tour

Nestor Girolami scored the first podium finish in the series for the new FL5-shape Civic Type R TCR with a superb performance at Spa-Francorchamps for ALM Motorsport.

The Argentinian was quickest in Friday practice and then qualified a season's-best third on Saturday morning.

An excellent getaway drew him alongside the leader into the first corner of Race One, after which he settled into a largely untroubled second place.

He added seventh spot from Sunday's partially-reversed grid after losing ground at the start and making several impressive passing moves. He's now fifth in the standings.

The ALM entry swelled to two cars at Spa as JAS Motorsport Development Driver Philip Lindberg joined the line-up with a brief to gain experience at his first international race event.

From 23rd in practice he made bigger time gains than any other driver in the field to finish 21st and 20th in the two races. No further outings are planned for Philip currently due to calendar clashes with his main programme in TCR Denmark.