TCR / 19 February 2024
Montenegro and Civic Type R TCR win triple title in Spain
JAS Motorsport Development Driver Ignacio Montenegro and ALM Motorsport delivered a magnificent triple-title success as the TCR Spain Winter Series reached its conclusion at Valencia.
Two magnificent recovery drives by Montenegro - including a final-race victory on Sunday - earned him the Drivers' and Junior crowns while ALM were assured of the Teams' Championship after he and Alvaro Garcia both finished on the Race One podium.
Montenegro, the reigning TCR South America Champion, qualified second but made a poor start and dropped to 10th off the line.
He was fifth before the end of the second lap and continued to charge; passing team-mate Garcia for second at two-thirds distance and securing a healthy number of points.
From eighth on Sunday's partially-reversed grid he took less than a lap to move into the top three and was leading by one-third distance. He would not relinquish that advantage and clinched his third win from the four-race season.
Garcia, who finished third in Race One, was another to make up ground on Sunday as he finished fourth overall and third in the Juniors. He finished third in both Championships.
The JAS Motorsport-built Honda Civic Type R TCR has now won a staggering 93 major titles as well as more than 450 race wins.