Josh Files wins race and title in Hockenheim
Josh Files took a lights-to-flag win on a damp track in the first race at Hockenheim, Germany, meaning he also wins the TCR Germany title with one race left. The Target Competition driver finished ahead of team-mate Dennis Strandberg, with Honda Team ADAC’s Steve Kirsch completing a Honda 1-2-3.
Files took the lead from pole position at the start and never looked back, whereas title rival Harald Proczyk made a bad start and dropped down to seventh before going on the wet grass under braking at the hairpin while trying to avoid another car, going completely straight in his HP Racing SEAT, and losing any chance to keep the title fight open.
Behind Files were Strandberg and Kirsch, the Swede defending all race long from his fellow Honda driver’s pressure. Behind the trio was Benjamin Leucther in his Racing One Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR, while Pierre-Yves Corthals defended his DG Sport Opel Astra TCR from Kai Jordan’s attacks.
Jordan actually sneaked past the Belgian on the fifth lap at Turn 2, but the Opel driver managed to overtake the Volkswagen after the hairpin. Jordan lost another place to SEAT’s Antti Buri, and one more on the following lap as fellow Volkswagen driver Tom Lautenschlager got past him.
A long wait before some more action was paid back when Corthals successfully closed a substantial gap to Leuchter and got past him at the Motodrom with two laps to go.
Josh Files won the race and the championship, ahead of Strandberg and Kirsch. Corthals came fourth courtesy of his clean move on Benjamin Leuchter, while Antti Buri came sixth in his LMS Racing SEAT. Lautenschlager came home seventh in his Junior Team Engstler Volkswagen, ahead of Honda Team ADAC’s Dominik Fugel, who overtook Kai Jordan in the closing stages of the race. Pascal Eberle completed the top ten.
The final race of the year is scheduled for tomorrow at 16:45 local time.
