Photo: TCR

TCR Asia campaign set to kick off at Sepang

By

The fourth season for the TCR Asia Series will kick off this weekend when the series heads for Sepang for the opening meeting of the year.

The Malaysian circuit has hosted a round of the season sicne the first race back in September 2015 before the ten round campaign heads for Buriram and then the popular Bangsaen Grand Prix on the streets of Chonburi in mid-July.

All three of the opening events will be held in conjunction with TCR Thailand.

The series will then visit South Korea for the first time since the season-opener in 2016 with TCR Asia joining teams contesting the maiden season of TCR Korea, before a return to Shanghai for the season finale.

Arguably the favourites for the 2018 season will be Liqui Moly Team Engstler – winners of the series last season with Kantadhee Kusiri.

Whilst Kusiri has moved on, newly crowed TCR Middle East champion Luca Engstler has been brought in in his place, with Diego Moran – who finished third in the standings last year – lining up in the second VW Golf GTI TCR.

The R Engineering team will field former GT driver Akash Nandi and last year’s podium finisher Abdul Kaathir, although the late arrival of at least one Honda Civic Type-R TCR may affect the team’s entry into its home round.

New to the series is the Maximum Racing team, with two Honda Civic cars for Hongkongers Ivan Szeto Wing Shun and Le Sze Ho, whilst Elegant Racing Team will be back with two Seat León TCR SEQ entries for Alex Liu and Kelvin Wong.

TCR Asia regular Douglas Khoo is expected to be amongst the TCR Asia Cup contenders.

The grid this weekend will be boosted by the TCR Thailand entry, which is headed by the Billionaire Boys Racing Honda Civic Type-R TCR of Chariya Nuya.

Pattarapol Vongprai and Jakraphan Davee are amongst the newcomers to the Thai line-up, whilst fan favourite Nattanid Leewattanavaragul – the first lady driver to win a TCR race – also returns for another season.