TCR World and life

19 Round 1 – Saturday 3 April, Fuji Speedway 1. K. Inoue (NILZZ Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS); 2. J. Sato (Adenau IDI, Volkswagen Golf GTI); 3. A. Nakaya (DOME Racing, Honda Civic Type R FK8) Round 2 – Sunday 4 April, Fuji Speedway 1. ‘Hirobon’ (Birth Racing Project, CUPRA); 2. M. Kato (Audi Team Mars, Audi RS 3 LMS); 3. M. Okura (Team Stile Corse, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce) Round 3 – Saturday 15 May, Autopolis 1. ‘Hirobon’ (Birth Racing Project, CUPRA); 2. A. Miura (DOME Racing, Honda Civic Type R FK8); 3. M. Kato (Audi Team Mars, Audi RS 3 LMS) Round 4 – Sunday 16 May, Autopolis Cancelled due to fog and torrential rain JAPAN Athunderous start for ‘Hirobon’ THEBIRTHRACINGPROJECTIS LEADING INBOTHTHE SATURDAYANDSUNDAYSERIES ‘Hirobon’ had a thunderous start to the TCR Japan season. The Birth Racing Project driver and his CUPRA took the chequered flag in first position in all three races held so far. However, he was stripped of his first victory in Fuji’s Race 1 by a 30-second penalty for a jump-start. The same was imposed on Yuki Fujii who had been second in his Hitotsuyama Racing Audi RS 3 LMS. And so, victory was inherited by another Audi driver, NILZZ Racing’s Keiichi Inoue (below) who had finished the race in third position. ‘Hirobon’ made up for the disappointment with a lights-to-flag win in the Sunday Race in which Masanobu Kato drove his Team Mars Audi RS 3 LMS to finish a distant second. The podium was completed by the Team Stile Corse Alfa Romeo Giulietta of Mineki Okura who rejected Fujii’s late assault. The second event at Autopolis was plagued by prohibitive weather conditions that eventually resulted in the Sunday Race being called off and postponed to a further date. In the Saturday Race, Hirobon’ benefited from a mistake by pole-sitter Takuya Shirasaka, whose DreamDrive KCMG Honda Civic went off the track during the opening lap while in the lead. ‘Hirobon’ inherited first place and then was able to reject the assaults of newcomer lady driver Ai Miura’s DOME Racing Honda Civic (above). Kato completed the podium ahead of Shirasaka who had rejoined after his off-track excursion.