TCR / 19 June 2023

MM Motorsport score 40th win with Civic Type R TCR

MM Motorsport scored their 40th win with the JAS Motorsport-built Honda Civic Type R TCR during the weekend as Kevin Giacon continued his domination of the Coppa Italia Turismo.

But further podiums for both the FL5 Civic and the older FK7 model brought several other drivers into contention for a number of prestigious titles.

 

Coppa Italia Turismo

Kevin Giacon extended his winning run in the Coppa Italia Turismo to five straight races as the MM Motorsport driver dominated the opening race at Grobnik from pole position to reach the chequered flag first.

Not only did it make MM only the second customer team to reach win #40 with the Civic Type R TCR, it also gave them a sixth win of 2023 – more than any other team has achieved this year with the car.

Unfortunately his winning run came to an end in Race Two as contact from a rival as he passed for the lead sent the black Honda into a spin and off the track as the race reached its midway point.

He did, however, retain the lead of the championship and can clinch the title at the next event.

 

TCR World Tour

Nestor Girolami equalled the best result of the season in the World Tour for the new FL5-model Civic Type R TCR at the Hungaroring.

The ALM Motorsport driver qualified second, dropped two spots by the first corner, but brilliantly fought back in sensational manner to regain both positions by the end of the opening lap.

He added to that runner-up position with fifth on Sunday to sit fifth in the points.

His teenage team-mate Ruben Volt - the JAS Motorsport Driver Development Programme graduate,  who was making his World Tour debut - qualified 11th and finished an excellent 10th on Sunday.

 

TCR Denmark

Kasper H Jensen maintained his status as the series leader with a pair of second-place finishes at Ring Djursland aboard his GMB Motorsport Civic Type R TCR, though now just 11 points separate him from team-mate Gustav Birch, who is seventh in the standings.

Birch was the winner of the Under-25s class in the opening race, having qualified on pole in the division, and remains on top of the category points too with two rounds completed.

TPR Motorsport's Michelle Halder was a season's-best fifth in Race Two with team-mate Kevin Brandsborg - a podium finisher at Jyllands-Ringen - 10th in Race Three.

JAS Motorsport Development Driver Philip Lindberg scored a season's-best seventh place in Race One for PL Racing while Team Bundgas's Kim Konig was second in the Trophy rankings in Race Two.