Sepang to host opening Round of TCR Asia Series
RND#1 2024 TCR Asia Series
Sepang, Malaysia (03-05 May, 2024)
After a four-year sabbatical, Malaysia’s iconic Sepang International Circuit will once again play host to the TCR Asia Series, bringing World Class Touring Car action back to the former home of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Sepang has a strong history with the category having hosted the first event outside of Europe with the very first TCR Asia Series event in September 2015, Sepang going on to host a further four races across the following four years, the fast-flowing open grand prix layout always presenting edge-of-the-seat action between the closely matched TCR machines.
The revised Championship has come together with a string of new teams and drivers, many looking to build their experience in the internationally recognised category.
Sepang is a fitting start to the Championship given the great affection the country has for production car racing, TCR having seen a number of local graduates over the years emerge as truly great touring car competitors.
For the opening round there is a great mix of drivers from across the region – drivers from Malaysia, Indonesia, China, South Korea and Ireland – from varying backgrounds, some of whom are already well versed with TCR competition, amongst them, Hyundai team-mates Zhendong Zhang, Max Hart, Nan Jiang and Haojie Yang, all of whom competed in TCR China last season.
A former Formula Vee Star of Tomorrow in his home country, Hart had been successful in TCR UK before campaigning a Hyundai Elantra N TCR in TCR China last season, placing sixth – in the process helping Hyundai to claim the manufacturers title.
Hart and Zheng will be joined in the Hyundai N by Z Speed team this season by Korea’s Doyun Hwang who has immense experience in GT and prototype equipment, and Indonesia’s Benny Santoso.
Hyundai are the dominant marque in this year’s Series, Hyundai N by Z Speed’s four drivers are joined by Indonesia’s Dypo Fitramadhan for Delta Garage Racing Team and a quartet of entries for Z Speed Motorsport – Nan Jiang, Haojie Yang, local hero Jonathan Xie and Qiren Liu.
Indonesia’s Budiyanto will be Audi’s sole representative for the opening round, returning the German marque to the spotlight, whilst for Honda – who claimed the very first TCR Asia Series title with Hong Kong’s Michael Choi in 2015, they will be represented by Umar Abdullah in the Delta Garage Racing Team FL5 TCR.
Following the return to competition for TCR Asia this weekend at Sepang, will come a second round in the Malaysian capital on June 07-9. The Series then makes its way to Thailand for back-to-back races at Buriram in Thailand (23-25 August and 13-15 September), before concluding at Ningbo Speedpark in China on 11-13 October. The top Drivers will then be invited to compete as part of the TCR World Tour Event race at the legendary Guia Circuit, in Macau on 14-17 November.
The TCR Asia Series event will be officially be underway with their traditional back-to-back sessions for Q1 and Q2 first thing Saturday, ahead of the opening 30-minute race at 5:00pm, followed by race two on Sunday (May 05) at 3:25pm local time.
The racing will be streamed online via tcr.tv and the TCR TV YouTube Channel; https://www.youtube.com/
You can follow us across the season via Facebook; TCRAsiaOfficial
Entry List
11 – Budiyanto (INA) – JVS Group Racing Team – Audi RS3LMS TCR
14 – HWANG Doyun (KOR) – Hyundai N by Z Speed – Hyundai Elantra N TCR
18 – ZHANG Zhendong (CHN) – Hyundai N by Z Speed – Hyundai Elantra N TCR
21 – JIANG Nan (CHN) – Z Speed Motorsport – Hyundai Elantra N TCR
52 – Jonathan XIE Boyu (MAS) – Z Speed Motorsport – Hyundai i30N TCR
56 – Benny SANTOSO (INA) – Hyundai N by Z Speed – Hyundai Elantra N TCR
69 – Max HART (IRL) – Hyundai N by Z Speed – Hyundai Elantra N TCR
82 – Dypo FITRAMADHAN (INA) – Delta Garage Racing Team – Hyundai Elantra N TCR
83 – LIU Qiren (CHN) – Z Speed Motorsport – Hyundai Elantra N TCR
86 – Umar ABDULLAH (INA) – Delta Garage Racing Team – Honda Civic FL5 TCR
97 – YANG Haojie (CHN) – Z Speed Motorsport – Hyundai Elantra N TCR
Live Timing
https://livetiming.
https://livetiming.
Live streaming
https://www.youtube.com/
Schedule (Malaysia time – GMT +8:00);
Saturday May 04
10:40am – Qualifying#1 (20-minutes)
11:05am – Qualifying#2 (10-minutes)
5:00pm – Race#1 (30-minutes)
Saturday May 05
3:25pm – Race#2 (30-minutes)
2024 TCR Asia Series – calendar
RND#1 -03-05 May, 2024 – Sepang, Malaysia
RND#2 – 07-09 June, 2024 – Sepang, Malaysia
RND#3 – 23-25 August, 2024 – Buriram, Thailand
RND#4 – 13-15 September, 2024 – Buriram, Thailand
RND#5 – 11-13 October, 2024 – Ningbo Speedpark, China
RND#6 – 14-17 November, 2024 – Guia Circuit, Macau (non-Championship)
Follow TCRAsiaOfficial on Facebook
#TCRAsiaOfficial
