New drivers join the KUMHO TCR World Tour final at Macau

For the final event of the KUMHO TCR World Tour on the streets of Macau, a bunch of new drivers will join.

Three of them are World Tour returnees: John Filippi, Ben Bargwanna and Marco Butti. A runner up in this year’s TCR Europe, Filippi will be driving a Comtoyou-run Audi RS 3 LMS; he has made four appearances in the World Tour, at Portimão, Spa-Francorchamps, Vallelunga and Hungaroring, becoming the first competitor of a hosting series to win a World Tour race at Spa.

After the end of his own country’s series, last weekend at Bathurst, TCR Australia race winner Bargwanna returns for the third time at the wheel of the same Team Clairet Sport Peugeot 308 he drove in Portimão and Spa.

Butti had only joined the Vallelunga event where he won the TCR Italian Trophy; this year he focused on TCR Italy in which he scored three victories on his way to finish fourth in the standings. The Italian youngster will race a Hyundai Elantra N entered by BRC Squadra Corse with support from the Hong Kong-based Evolve Racing.

Evolve Racing will also run a second car for Lo Sze Ho, who last Saturday has won the first of the two TCR Asia Challenge races. Five other TCR Asia Challenge competitors will join: Paul Poon Tak Chun (Teamwork Motorsport, Audi), Deng Bao Wei (109 Racing, Honda Civic Fk7), Yan Chuang (Fancy Teamwork, Lynk & Co 03), Osborn Li Weng Ji (Z.Speed, Hyundai i30 N) and Ken Tian Kai (QMA Motorsports, Audi).

Picture: Macau Grand Prix