TCR / 20 May 2024

JAS Development Driver Losonczy scores first win at Zolder

A well-judged TCR Europe victory for JAS Motorsport Development Driver Levente Losonczy was the highlight of another strong weekend for Civic Type R TCR customer teams that featured plenty of silverware.

 

TCR Europe

ALM Motorsport driver Levente Losonczy dropped from first to third at the start, but regained second place before the end of the opening lap and then chased down the leader to take the top spot just before half-distance.

Losing the lead again after a mid-race safety-car period bunched the field, reclaimed the advantage in a three-wide move that also allowed team-mate Ruben Volt - who had started eighth - to slip into second and compete a one-two for the Estonian team.

Team-mate Ignacio Montenegro - also a JAS Development Driver - was the fastest Rookie in qualifying and won the class both times to extend his lead in the standings over Santi Concepcion, who debuted with GOAT Racing and was twice second in class.

Concepcion's GOAT team-mate Felipe Fernandez won the Diamond Trophy in Race Two in a career-best fourth place overall while his brother Ruben Fernandez, in the third Civic, was third in Race One.

 

TCR Eastern Europe

Rene Kircher, who set the pace in practice, fought back from a disappointing seventh place in qualifying to finish the opening race at the Red Bull Ring in fourth spot.

His Mertel Motorsport team-mate Davit Kajaia was another to advance in Saturday's opener as he climbed from 10th to sixth. He ran second early in Race Two but gradually moved down the order and finished eighth.

Jorden Doschilka, driving the third of the team's Civics, finished third in the Junior class in both races.

MM Motorsport's Giacomo Ghermandi was punted off the track while running second in Race One and then made a mistake of his own early in Race Two - again while second. Redoubling his efforts, he recovered to fifth and sixth.

 

Sports Car Club of Canada

Gary Kwok finished the opening race of the season at Mosport in fourth place in TCR aboard his M&S Racing Civic Type R TCR, the former Canadian Touring Car Champion climbing from ninth on the grid.

That put him two places ahead of his new team-mate, Jonathan Young. Kwok and Young were sixth and eighth on Sunday.

 

GT World Challenge America

Luca Mars and Zach Veach finished third on the road in Race Two at Austin, only for the Racers Edge Motorsport duo's NSX GT3 Evo 22 to be bumped back a spot in the Pro class owing to a three-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.

It was, nevertheless, a fine performance from both drivers after starting fourth in class.

Race One ended early for Mars, who had qualified third in Pro. First-corner contact led to damage to the right-front of the NSX and resulted in a trip to the pits and retirement.