Josh Files caps off 2017 TCR Germany season with victory at Hockenheim

Josh Files finished off the 2017 TCR Germany season with a victory in the final race at Hockenheim, leading the Audis of Max Hofer and Niels Langeveld across the finish.

Files started from pole position in the Target Competition Honda Civic TCR, with Fugel Motorsport’s Moritz Oestreich starting alongside him, also in a Honda Civic.

Oestreich had a good start, but Files was able to keep the lead into Turn 1, while Niels Langeveld held on to third in the Racing One Audi RS 3. Kris Richard was up to fourth in the second-best placed of Target’s Hondas, but not for long, as he was soon passed by the Wolf-Power SEAT León of Mike Halder at the end of the first lap.

Richard’s race then ended on lap two after he was hit by the second Fugel Honda of Steve Kirsch at the Sachs-Kurve, with both drivers immediately out of the race.

There was another Target/Fugel Honda duel taking place up front, as Josh Files and Moritz Oestreich battled it out for the lead throughout lap two, with Oestrich taking the position at the end of the lap. Files then lost time as he was caught in a battle with the Audi of Langeveld and Halder’s SEAT at Turn 1 on lap three, allowing Oestrich to break away.

Oestreich built up a three second lead, before it was confirmed that the German was to serve a drive-through penalty after being judged to have jumped the start.

When Oestreich pitted on lap eight, Files assumed the lead ahead of a squabbling group of cars, with PROSPORT Performance’s Max Hofer having now worked his way up to second ahead of Langeveld and Halder.

Luca Engstler was now up to fifth in the Engstler Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, while Sheldon van der Linde was battling in the second PROSPORT Audi against the LMS Audi of Antti Buri, with the two swapping positions until the safety car was deployed on lap 12, after Target Competition’s Simon Larsson crashed out, slamming into his Audi team-mate Tim Zimmermann, and needed recovery.

The race resumed two laps later, with Files again pulling away ahead of Hofer, Langeveld and Halder, while Buri soon passed Engstler’s Volkswagen, with van der Linde also making his way past the young German, before a mistake for Buri saw him slip down the order, making a questionable return to the track and forcing Engstler off the road. Buri then found himself battling with the V-Action Alfa Romeo of guest driver Luigi Ferrara.

While Ferrara and Buri battled, Buri’s team-mate Niko Kankunnen caught them and became involved, but slid into the barriers at the Sachs-Kurve on lap 14 which necessitated another safety car, with the decision made to eventually red flag the race, with the result declared after 12 laps.

Files therefore wins his sixth race of the 2017 TCR Germany season, after securing his second title yesterday in Race 1, with Hofer and Langeveld completing the podium, and with Files winning the championship 65 points clear over Wolf-Power’s Mike Halder.