Josh Files takes win number five of 2016 at the Nürburgring
Josh Files took his fifth win from nine races in the 2016 TCR Germany series at the Nürburgring. The British driver launched into the lead at the start in his Target Competition Honda Civic, and held the Opel Astra of Jordi Oriola at bay throughout the race.
Although Files’ Target Competition team-mate Jürgen Schmarl had set the fastest time in qualifying on Friday, the Austrian was demoted to the back of the grid for the race courtesy of an engine change penalty. This promoted the DG Sport Opel Astra TCR of Jordi Oriola to pole, with Files starting from second on the grid for the standing start.
At the start, a sluggish getaway from Oriola saw Files take the initiative into the first corner, while the Honda Team ADAC Civic TCR of Steve Kirsch was up briefly up into second position.
Oriola wasted no time in repassing the German for second through the first sequence of corners, with the Spaniard quickly setting about chasing down Files’ Honda.
On lap two, Kirsch’s race came to an end after the Target Competition SEAT of Francisco Mora attempted a misjudged lunge down the inside into Turn 1, slamming into the side of Kirsch’s Civic TCR. Kirsch was forced to retire at the end of the lap with damage, with the stewards handing Mora a drive-through penalty for his part in the incident.
Honda Team ADAC’s race was to get even worse, as on lap seven the second car of Dominic Fugel was involved in an incident with Finland’s Antti Buri. The SEAT driver made contact with Fugel’s Honda at the Warsteiner Kurve, launching Fugel’s car in the air and into a slide, with Fugel making contact with the barriers with the car taking significant damage.
The race was suspended behind the safety car for five laps, restarting on lap 12 with ten minutes to go, with Files leading ahead of Oriola and the SEAT of Mario Dablander, with Pierre-Yves Corthals restarting fourth in the Opel Astra of DG Sport.
Corthals jumped ahead of Dablander’s SEAT at the restart into Turn 1, while Files kept the lead ahead of Oriola, with the Briton quickly rebuilding his lead over the Spaniard.
Files went on to win the race by over two seconds, and extends his lead to 31 points over Harald Proczyk, who finished 19th and well outside of the points-paying positions, and with third in the championship Steve Kirsch unable to finish.
Race 2 of the weekend takes place at 12:00 CET on Sunday, with Engstler Motorsport driver Mike Halder starting from pole position in the SEAT León Cup Racer, with Files set to start from eighth position on the grid.
