Double victory for Zhang Zhen Dong in TCR China’s first event
Zhang Zhen Dong – the 2024 TCR Asia champion – made a blazing return to TCR China and dominated the field in the season opener at Shanghai International Circuit. Throughout the weekend Zhang and his Z.Speed-run Hyundai Elantra set a pace that no one was able to follow. With pole position and two wins he scored full points, building an early lead in the standings. His closest competitors, Lynk & Co Teamwork teammates David Zhu Dai Wei and Jason Zhang Zhi Qiang, are already 24 and 25 points behind.
Race 1 – Zhang Zhen Dong had outpaced the field in qualifying, inflicting 1.2 seconds to Lo Sze Ho who was then disqualified for underweight, which promoted Wu Yi Fan and Jason Zhang to P2 and P3, 1.7 seconds slower.
Zhang Zhen Dong made good use of the pole, took the lead and pulled away; behind him David Zhu from P4 on the grid passed Jason Zhang and muscled his way past Wu Yi Fan for second. The leader’s advantage vanished when the safety car was deployed in lap 8 to recover a pair of cars that had stopped on the track.
Racing resumed in lap 11, and Zhang Zhen Dong pulled away once again, while Zhu lost P2 during the last lap and dropped to fourth behind Wu and Jason Zhang.
Lo Sze Ho and Sunny Wong Yat Shing managed to recover to sixth and ninth after starting from 26th and the pit lane respectively.
Race 2 – Tang Chi Lun and Sunny Wong sat on the front row of the top ten reversed grid; Tang stalled at the start and Wong led the field from Zhu and Henry Ho Wai Kun; during the first lap Zhang Zhen Dong collided with Wu Yi Fan who spun and rejoined at the back. Zhang Zhen Dong and Jason Zhang soon passed Ho and then Wong, moving up to second and third.
Zhang Zhen Dong then began to put the pressure on Zhu; after a couple of laps he stole the lead from him in lap 8 and was able to create a gap, crossing the finishing line 1.7 seconds before his rival, with Jason Zhang in third place.
The next event will be at Zhejiang in two weeks.
Race 1
- Zhang Zhen Dong (Z.Speed N, Hyundai Elantra N), 13 laps
- Wu Yi Fan (326 Racing Team, Audi RS 3 LMS), 3.149
- Jason Zhang Zhi Qiang (Lynk & Co Teamwork, Lynk & Co 03), 3.710
Race 2
- Zhang Zhen Dong (Z.Speed N, Hyundai Elantra N), 11 laps
- David Zhu Dai Wei (Lynk & Co Teamwork, Lynk & Co 03), 1.766
- Jason Zhang Zhi Qiang (Lynk & Co Teamwork, Lynk & Co 03), 4.794
Championship points
- Zhang Z.D., 90 pts; 2. D. Zhu D.W., 66; 3. J Zhang Z.Q., 65
Picture: TCR China
