Choi Jeong Weon secures the TCR Chinese Taipei title
One year after clinching the TCR Japan title, Choi Jeong Weon was crowned champion of the TCR Chinese Taipei series. The Korean driver had arrived at Lihpao Racing Park for the season finale, three points behind the reigning champion Shi Shiwei.
Choi drove his KMSA Motorsport-run Hyundai Elantra N to set pole position and then dominated both races, while Shi couldn’t defend his leadership as his Fist-Team AAI Honda Civic was affected by technical issues.
In the B Class, Wei Shibin’s double victory on his first appearance in a brand new Civic FL5 was not enough to clinch the title that went to Wang Jianmin and his Team Yishun Gen 1 Audi RS 3 LMS. As for the C Class, Joe Chen Junqiao had already secured the title before the last event.
Race 1 – Choi started from the pole after having outpaced Shi in Qualifying by seven tenths; the Korean driver took the lead at the start and began to build a gap, while Shi experienced technical issue and lost the second place to Wei in lap 3. Wei, finished second overall and won the B Class, with Chen victorious in Class C.
Race 2 – Once again Choi sprinted from the pole to lead the field at the start, while Shi from P3 on the grid passed Wei for second into T1. Shi followed Choi for the first four laps, then just like in the first race, the pace of his car faded, and he dropped down the order. With Wei in second place, more than four seconds behind, all Choi had to do was controlling the race to take his fifth win of the season and secure the title. Wei finished second and first in the B Class, with the Gen 1 Audi of Lin Yihong in third position and winner of the C Class. Shi limped to the end in P6.
Race 1
- Choi Jeong Weon (KMSA Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N), 12 laps
- Wei Shibin (Team Pit58, Honda Civic Type R FL5), 8.908
- Shi Shiwei (Fist Team AAI, Honda Civic Type R FL5), 21.692
Race 2
- Choi Jeong Weon (KMSA Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N), 12 laps
- Wei Shibin (Team Pit58, Honda Civic Type R FL5), 1.745
- Lin Yihong (Team Pit58, Audi RS 3 LMS SEQ), 20.211
Championship points
- Choi J.W., 94 pts.; 2. Shi S., 86; 3. Yang M., 11
Picture: STS Taiwan
