Junui Park hangs on to claim maiden TCR Europe victory at Hungaroring

Solite Indigo Racing’s Junui Park claimed his first-ever TCR Europe Series victory, staving off a fierce late challenge from Ruben Volt in the second race at the Hungaroring.

The Hyundai Elantra N TCR driver took the lead at the start and made the most of scrapping behind to build a solid lead gap before the safety car came out in the second half of the race.

Despite the pace advantage of Volt in the closing stages, Park held on to take the win by just over three-tenths of a second from the Estonian.

Race one winner Marco Butti completed the podium for Monlau Motorsport on a day where championship leader Nicolas Taylor suffered a costly retirement.

Victor Chan started from pole position but, just like Butti at the start of race one, the Auto Club RC2 Valles Honda driver got a poor getaway off the line and dropped to fourth.

Park led the way early on from Viktor Andersson’s Monlau Motorsport Cupra León VZ TCR and Gabriele Covini’s BRC Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR.

Meanwhile, ALM Motorsport’s Mike Halder also suffered a slow start and fell towards the back of the field. The German was then handed a five-second post-race penalty for a jump-start to add to his woes.

Halder, who crossed the line in ninth after an eventful race, ultimately finished 11th after his penalty was applied.

Chan saw his victory chances fade on the second lap, after contact with Covini at turn three. The Hong Kong driver had dived down the inside of Covini at turn one to grab third, but was tagged in the rear by the Hyundai, sending him into a spin.

Out front, Park established a comfortable 1.3-second margin over Andersson but the action behind was frenetic.

Covini came under pressure from Ruben Volt’s ALM Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R for third, while race one winner Marco Butti (Monlau Motorsport Cupra) got the better of Alex Ley’s BRC Racing Team Hyundai.

As Volt moved ahead of Covini for third at turn two, there was even more drama for points leader Taylor who was forced to retire after contact with his PMA Motorsport Audi team-mate Nicola Baldan at turn one.

The pair had negotiated their way past the ailing Junesung Park, who’s Hyundai slowed due to a tyre rubbing on the bodywork, before Baldan tried to pass Taylor under braking.

Baldan appeared to carry too much speed into the corner and slammed into the side of Taylor’s car, causing the latter’s Audi suspected suspension damage.

With both Audis stranded at the side of the road, the safety car was then deployed, which bunched the field up once more with 11 minutes remaining.

Park held onto the lead at the restart with five minutes remaining but was chased hard by Andersson and Volt behind.

In the closing laps, Volt got past Andersson for second, with Butti also making it past his team-mate to take third.

Volt piled the pressure onto the back of Park throughout the final lap ,but the Korean did just enough to cling on to claim his first TCR Europe victory by just three-tenths of a second.

Off the podium, Andersson was fourth ahead of Covini and Ley, with Squadra Martino’s Tiago Pernía seventh.

Team-mate Santiago Concepción was eighth, while Felipe Fernández and Chan rounded out the top 10 finishers.