Balaton Park hosts TCR Eastern Europe’s season opener

The circuit of Balaton Park, in Hungary, hosts for the first time the TCR Eastern Europe series for the opening event of the 2024 season.

The leitmotif is the resuming of last year's battle for the title between Janík Motorsport and Mertel Motorsport that represent Hyundai and Honda respectively, with both teams fielding a trio of cars.

The reigning champion Mat'o Homola and his squire Adam Kout who classified third in the 2023 championship have been joined by the 20-year-old TCR rookie Jiří Zbožínek in the third Elantra N, while Mertel Motorsport has expanded its line-up to three Honda Civic Type R FK7 cars with Austrian talented female racer Jorden Dolischka in addition to the pair of René Kircher and Davit Kajaia who finished second and fourth in last year's standings.

Among those who aim for joining the fight are Petr Čížek (Expres Auto Racing, CUPRA Leon Competición), Žarko Knego (Auto Klub Dubrovnik Racing, Hyundai Elantra N) and the 2023 Clio Cup champion Martin Kadlečík (Aditis Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS).

A late addition to the entry list was local driver Attila Bucsi in a M1RA Motorsport-run Hyundai i30 N.

The TCR Eastern Europe competitors will be joined on the grid by their colleagues of the new TCR European Endurance series. These latter will carry on in their 60-minute race after the end of the TCR Eastern Europe sprints.

Timetable

Saturday - Qualifying: 08:30 CEST

Saturday - Race 1: 12:15 CEST

Sunday - Race 2: 10:20 CEST

Entry list

3 – Giacomo Ghermandi (MM Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R FK7)

8 - René Kircher (Mertel Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R FK7)

9 - Davit Kajaia (Mertel Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R FK7)

10 - Jorden Dolischka (Mertel Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R FK7)

11 - Jiři Zbožínek (Janík Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N)

14 - Petr Čížek (Expres Auto Racing, CUPRA Leon Competición)

33 – Attila Bucsi (M1RA Motorsport, Hyundai i30 N)

48 - Fraňo Dubreta (CUPRA Leon Competición)

68 - Adam Kout (Janík Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N)

70 - Mat'o Homola (Janík Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N)

74 - Žarko Knego (Auto Klub Dubrovnik Racing, Hyundai Elantra N)

82 - Vít Smejkal (Expres Auto Racing, CUPRA Leon Competición)

121 - Ivars Vallers (LV Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS)

301 - Martin Kadlečík (Aditis Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS)

Picture: TCR Eastern Europe