The fight for TCR Eastern Europe title becomes a family affair
The battle for the TCR Eastern Europe title is now a family affair between Hyundai Janík Motorsport drivers: the reigning champion Mat’o Homola and Adam Kout who was placed third in last year’s championship. The pair have shared race wins in the penultimate event of the season at Automotodrom Brno, where TCR Eastern Europe raced together with TCR Europe. Homola won the first race, finishing a brilliant third overall, while Kout was victorious in Race 2, resisting the pressure from Aditis Racing’s Martin Kadlećík who collected a couple of second places.
In the absence of Attila Bucsi of M1RA Motorsport, Homola has stretched his lead in the standings to 34 points over Kout, while Bucsi has dropped to third with a gap of 60 points when 53 will be on offer in the season finale that will be in two weeks 20/22 September at the Salzburgring.
Race 1 – Homola had been fastest in Qualifying, fourth overall behind three TCR Europe drivers and ahead of Kadlećík. Homola got away well at the start moving up to third overall ahead of Viktor Andersson, while Kadlećík and Kout were fifth and eighth overall. During the first three laps, Kadlećík and Kout were fighting for P7 overall and second in TCR Eastern Europe, but Kadlećík managed to pull away and then overtook Ignacio Montenegro and his own teammate Bartosz Groszek in lap 3. One lap later, Kout passed Montenegro as well for P7.
The race became processional, as the TCR Eastern Europe competitors were scattered amongst their TCR Europe colleagues. Homola focused on winning the category and settled in third overall, with Kadlećík in second position, finishing fifth overall only two tenths behind Andersson. Kout completed the TCR Eastern Europe podium ahead of Davit Kajaia.
Race 2 – The best-placed TCR Eastern Europe drivers on the reversed grid were Kout and Kadlećík in P5 and P6. There was commotion at the start, with Homola and Kout running abreast, but the safety car was deployed at the end of lap 1 to recover Žarko Knego’s Hyundai Elantra and Petr Čížek’s CUPRA Leon that had collided. When racing resumed in lap 5, the first three in TCR Eastern Europe were Kout (seventh overall), Kadlećík (9th) and Kajaia (10th), with Homola down to 13th overall. Kout came under pressure from both Kadlećík and Kajaia, then, as the battle with TCR Europe fellow drivers raged on, Kajaia lost contact from the leading pair and was passed by Giacomo Ghermandi in lap 6 and by Homola in lap 7. Kout and Kadlećík kept on fighting for the lead, but Kout held on to take the win by less than two tenths, while Homola moved up to third after Ghermandi had to pit.
Brno – Race 1
- Mat’o Homola (Janík Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N), 11 laps
- Martin Kadlečík (Aditis Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS), 3.770
- Adam Kout (Janík Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N), 14.183
Brno – Race 2
- Adam Kout (Janík Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N), 13 laps
- Martin Kadlečík (Aditis Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS), 0.182
- Mat’o Homola (Janík Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N), 10.047
Championship points
- M. Homola, 211 pts; 2. A. Kout, 177; 3. A. Bucsi, 141
Picture: TCR Eastern Europe
