TCR / 29 April 2024

Halder double as Civic Type R TCR wins five times

Five overall victories and a further four class wins made for a sensational weekend for the Honda Civic Type R TCR in Europe and Asia.

A double success for Mike Halder on his first weekend with the FL5 Civic plus an incredible all-Honda top-five, headed by Kasper H Jensen made for an exceptional weekend for drivers of the JAS Motorsport-built car.

 

TCR Denmark

Mike Halder and Kasper H Jensen were the class of the field as the season began at Padborg Park. TPR Motorsport driver Halder beat the four-time champion in two of the three races while polesitter Jensen, racing for the new Mascot Motorsport with RaceGroup squad, turned the tables in the middle race.

The highlight was a sensational wheel-to-wheel battle in the final stages of Race Three with Halder passing Jensen for the lead at the first corner of the last lap, losing it two turns later and then taking it back at the penultimate bend.

He opens up a narrow lead over Jensen in the standings. PL Racing's Philip Lindberg twice finished third while RaceGroup's Gustav Birch and privateer Jacob Wunderov completed a Honda top five in Race Two.

Birch was the winner of the Under-25s class in Race Two while Halder's TPR team-mate Rene Povlsen won the Trophy category twice. Team Bundgas driver Kim Konig took the class honours in the opener.

 

TCR Chinese Taipei

Shi Shiwei and Gao Zhilong made it a double win for the Civic Type R TCR as the season began with a new single-driver, two-race, format at Lihpao.

Reigning champion Shiwei beat the pole-sitting BC Racing Civic of Liao Junhao in Saturday's dry opener to put Team AAI on top with Zhilong third.

But he was no match for Junhao or Zhilong in a wet Sunday race. Junhao recovered from a poor start to go from fourth to first by one-third distance and pulled clear for a remarkable 45-second win.

Unfortunately he was penalised for nine track-limit offences, dropping just behind Zhilong, who was declared the winner. BORDER's You Yihao was third with Shiwei fourth; Hondas filling the podium spots in both races.

 

TCR Eastern Europe

Rene Kircher began the season with a podium finish as the Mertel Motorsport driver ran strongly at Balaton Park.

The German passed Giacomo Ghermandi's FL5 Civic for the final podium spot on the penultimate lap of Race One and added sixth the following day. Ghermandi was fourth in his debut with MM Motorsport and sixth in Race Two.

Kircher's team-mate Davit Kajaia was fired off by a reckless rival in Race One and recovered from a resultant back-of-the-grid start on Sunday to take eighth. Debutant team-mate Jorden Doschilka finished both races.