Harald Proczyk wins Hockenheim Race 1 as Josh Files secures title
Harald Proczyk has taken his first win of the season after his switch to Opel at the Hockenheimring, while tenth for Josh Files was enough to score the Brit his second TCR Germany series title for Target Competition, in a race which was aborted after nine laps after an incident for Lubner Motorsport driver Jasmin Preisig.
Proczyk made a good start from pole in his new Opel Astra, despite a challenge from Fugel Motorsport driver Steve Kirsch around the outside in his Honda Civic Type R TCR.
Sheldon van der Linde remained in second in his PROSPORT Audi RS 3, while Files only championship rival Mike Halder was able to hold on third in his Wolf-Power SEAT León as Kirsch was stuck on the outside into Turn 1.
Halder then overtook van der Linde’s Audi at the Sachs kurve for second place, but by now Proczyk had already built a comfortable margin and was pulling away in his Opel Astra.
Van der Linde was slowly dropping down the order, while reigning champion Files found himself in a battle with Antti Buri in the LMS Audi, with contact shifting Files outside of the top ten.
A mistake for the second Fugel Honda of Moritz Oestreich saw Files promoted into the top ten, while the race was then held behind the safety car after a huge hit for the Lubner Opel driver Jasmin Preisig on lap eight.
The 25-year-old Swiss made contact with the Certainty Racing Audi RS 3 LMS of Jaap van Lagen at Turn 11 on the way towards the Mobil 1 Kurve, and hit the barrier with the left-rear of her Astra TCR, before spinning around and slamming into the barrier again head-on, with the car spinning around before stopping on track.
The safety car was deployed immediately with the race held behind the safety car for four laps while the medical team attended to Preisig, with the officials red flagging the race with the result declared at nine laps.
Proczyk therefore wins his third TCR Germany race, his first of the season, while whether full or half-points are awarded, Files is officially the 2017 TCR Germany series champion regardless, with tenth enough to ensure he has more than the 40-point margin over Halder needed.
The second and final race of the season is scheduled for 15:15 CET on Sunday.
