Martin Xie scores a double win in TCR China at Ningbo
Martin Xie Xin Zhe had a perfect weekend in the TCR China Championship at Ningbo International Circuit, with the MacPro Racing Honda driver taking pole position and winning both races. Xie claimed a lights-to-flag victory in Race 1, beating the reigning champion Martin Cao Hong Wei, then in Race 2 he came through from ninth on the grid to take the lead from the points leader Jason Zhang Zhi Qiang with just over one lap to go.
Despite losing the win, Zhang continues to lead the standings, just six points clear of Cao, with Xie who has closed to 12 points away.
Race 1 – Xie and Cao shared the front row of the grid having posted the fastest laps in Qualifying of 1:50.312 and 1:50.976, with Rainey He Xiao Le and Zhang filling the second row. Xie led the way into T1 from Cao, while a bad start for He saw him drop down the order, with Lo Sze Ho briefly up to third before he was passed by David Zhu Dai Wei. Xie controlled the race, with the top three all locked in. The battle was mainly within the rest of the top ten, with Zhang caught in a long battle with Andy Yan Cheuk Wai. After a number of failed attempts to pass, one of which saw Zhang off the road on the way down to T12, he finally made his way past on lap 11. The race ended behind the safety car when the Audi of Lai Wing Jen collided with Sunny Wong Yat Shing’s Lynk & Co while battling for P9. Lai stopped on the circuit, while Wong pitted for a new tyre. Xie won ahead of Cao and Zhu.
Race 2 – Yan started from pole position, after Wong had been given a three-place grid penalty for the incident with Lai in Race 1. Yan led the way ahead of Lai and Wu Yi Fan, but the two were quickly passed by the fast-starting Zhang, who was up five places in one lap. The two Audi cars soon faltered, with Wu pitting at the end of lap one, and then Lai going off a lap later. On lap 3, Zhang overtook Yan for the lead at T1, with Xie made his way past Yan on lap 4. Yan then shuffled behind his teammate Cao; there was train of three Hyundai cars – Cao’s, Yan’s and He’s – being chased by the last two Lynk & Co cars of Zhu and Wong. Zhu overtook He on lap 5 and then dived past Yan on lap 12 at T12 but made a mistake at the hairpin and fell behind both Hyundai drivers. With two laps to go, Zhang slowed out of the lead, with Xie going on to win comfortably, while Zhang lost one more spot on the final corner to Cao. Yan was fourth under the flag but was demoted to fifth behind Xiao Kun Peng by a five-second penalty for a grid infringement.
TCR China Challenge – Pan Yi Ming won Race 1 from Li Ka Hei who was then given a 10-second penalty for an incident with Richard Li Guang Hua and dropped to third behind Paul Poon Tak Chun. Li Guang Hua lost one lap to replace the rear-right wheel and finished seventh, while Liu Zi Chen, who had started from the back of the grid after being excluded from qualifying for a technical infringement, was eliminated in a first-lap pile-up. In the Race 2, Poon overtook the early leader Lin Zhi Shan and pulled away to claim his maiden win in the series. Behind him Huang Ying kept Li Ka Hei at bay for second but was given a ten-second penalty for impending and dopped to fourth behind Liu Zhi Chen and ahead of Pan Yi Ming, while a puncture on the penultimate lap deprived Li Guang Hua of sixth place. In the standings, Pan leads by 11 points over Li, with Liu third, 38 points adrift.
The TCR China Championship will be joined by the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour for the next event, at Zhuzhou on October 18/20.
Ningbo – Race 1
- Martin Xie Xin Zhe (MacPro Racing, Honda Civic Type R FL5), 14 laps
- Martin Cao Hong Wei (Hyundai N, Hyundai Elantra N), 0.320
- David Zhu Dai Wei (Teamwork Motorsport, Lynk&Co 03), 0.702
Ningbo – Race 2
- Martin Xie Xin Zhe (MacPro Racing, Honda Civic Type R FL5), 14 laps
- Martin Cao Hong Wei (Hyundai N, Hyundai Elantra N), 2.763
- Jason Zhang Zhi Qiang (Teamwork Motorsport, Lynk&Co 03), 2.913
Championship points
- J. Zhang, 277 pts; 2. M. Cao, 271; 3. M. Xie, 265
Challenge points
- Pan Yi Ming, 295 pts; 2. Li Guang Hua, 284; 3. Liu Zi Chen, 257
Picture: TCR China
