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Jean-Karl Vernay takes comfortable victory in TCR Asia-China Race 1

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Jean-Karl Vernay romped to a dominant victory in the first of the TCR Asia-China sprint races today at Zhejiang, taking the win in his Teamwork Volkswagen Golf by over 20 seconds ahead of Andy Yan’s NewFaster Racing Audi RS 3 LMS.

Vernay was passed at the start by Tin Sritrai’s Team Thailand Honda Civic, but the Frenchman was able to repass the Thai driver before the end of the lap and started building a lead.

The two Engstler Volkswagens had terrible starts, with Kantadhee Kusiri dropping from second to fourth, while Diego Moran dropped to last after stalling his Volkswagen Golf on the grid.

R Engineering driver Lai Wee Sing’s championship challenge became unravelled on lap three, as he clambered over the rear of Samuel Hsieh’s Volkswagen Golf.

With Vernay running in the TCR China class, Sritrai seemed set for the TCR Asia class win despite running in second overall, but the Honda driver then began to slow on lap ten and quickly fell behind championship rival Kusiri’s Volkswagen.

Sritrai continued to drop down the order, falling behind two more TCR Asia series class competitors to finish fourth in class, with Kusiri’s class win meaning the Thai driver is now 23.5 points clear of Sritrai with just one race remaining.

Vernay won in overall and in the TCR China class in the Teamwork Volkswagen, 23 seconds clear of the two NewFaster Audis of Andy Yan and Huang Chu Han.

The TCR Asia-China second race takes place at 16:30, which is also the season finale for TCR Asia, where Sritrai has to win his class with Kusiri not finishing in order to take the title.

The second race is scheduled for 16:30 CST (10:30 CET).