TCR World and life

19 Round 1 – Saturday 25 July, Sportsland Sugo 1. T. Shinohara (Hitotsuyama Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS); 2. K. Ichijo (Birth Racing Project, CUPRA); 3. T. Matsumoto (Team Wakayama, Volkswagen Golf GTI) Round 2 – Sunday 26 July, Sportsland Sugo Cancelled due to weather conditions to third behind ‘Hirobon’ and Matsumoto, while Shinohara and Ichijo were closing the gap from the leading trio. Matsumoto snatched the lead from ‘Hirobon’ on lap 2 and the latter was also passed by Shinohara on lap 4 and Ichijo on lap 6. From lap 7, Shinohara began putting the pressure on Matsumoto, but Ichijo benefited from the fight to join the battle. Shinohara overtook Matsumoto for P1 on lap 11, however on the following lap Ichijo managed to pass both his rivals and took the lead. This didn’t last for long, as Ichijo made a small mistake on lap 13, which opened the door for Shinohara to recover first position. And that’s how they finished, with Shinohara the winner ahead of Ichijo, while Matsumoto retained third despite a late assault from ‘Hirobon’. The next event of TCR Japan will be at Motegi Twin Ring on 29th/30th August.