TCR Italy kicks off at Misano with two separate series
Misano hosts the opening event of the TCR Italy season with the championship split in two different series, one for the cars with sequential gearbox and one for the DSG models. The other new feature is the rolling start, instead of the traditional standing start.
The greatest news is the return after a one-year break of Salvatore Tavano, the man who won three titles in five years, finishing once second and one third. He's back with the same team - Scuderia del Girasole - and the same brand - CUPRA - in a new Leon VZ. His main rival is set to be another former champion, Nicola Baldan in the Aikoa Racing Audi RS 3 LMS. These two senators will face strong competition from a bunch of young lions: Baldan's team-mate Filippo Barberi, the quartet in the new Honda Civic FL5 cars: Paolo Rocca, Ruben Volt, Levente Losonczy (all with ALM Motorsport) and Jacopo Cimenes (MM Motorsport). The chapionship has attracted a large international representative, besides Volt and Losonczy there are the Koreans Junui Park, Junesung Park and Kim Hwarang in Hyundai Elantra cars run under the banner of Solite Indigo Racing, Canadian racer Nicolas Taylor in a PMA Motorsport-run Audi, the 21-year-old Argentine Luciano Martínez also at the wheel of an Audi for Pinatti Motorsport and the 2023 TCR UK runner-up Alex Ley in yet another Elantra.
About fifteen entries are expected in the DSG championship, mainly at the wheel of Audi RS 3 LMS or CUPRA TCR cars with the sole Volkswagen Golf GTI run by NOS Racing. Amongst the favourite drivers are the experienced Paolo Palanti (Aikoa Racing, Audi) and the teenager Pietro Alessi (RC Motorsport, Audi).
Timetable (CEST)
Friday - Qualifying: 18:30/18:55
Friday - Qualifying DSG: 19:05/19:30
Saturday - Race 1: 13:30
Saturday - Race 1 DSG: 15:30
Sunday - Race 2: 10:00
Sunday - Race 2 DSG: 14:55
Picture: ACI Sport
