Mikel Azcona claimed his second win of the season, and soared into the lead of the championship after a perfect lights-to-flag victory in Round 10 of the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour at Inje Speedium, while Thed Björk managed to fight his way past Azcona’s teammate Norbert Michelisz in the final laps of the race to take second place.
Azcona made a strong start from pole position, while Bjork threatened Michelisz into the first corner but had to settle for third.
Björk's Geely Cyan Racing teammate Yann Ehrlacher remained fourth after the start, but soon found himself under attack from both the SP Compétition CUPRA of Aurélien Comte, and the Hyundai of local star Junesung Park, who was flying in his Elantra N TCR.
Comte and Park both made a dive past Ehrlacher to move into fourth on lap four, and Comte then began to close in on the leading trio, joining a tight battle for second as the race entered its final few laps.
Björk managed to pass Michelisz for second at the final corner on lap 14, and then managed to escape, while the Hungarian was able to fend off Comte’s CUPRA for another five laps right to the finish line.
Of the engine change penalised duo Santiago Urrutia and Ma Qing Hua, the two made progress in the race and climbed to ninth and tenth, but couldn’t make any further headway other than passing the TCR Asia class drivers and the Evolve Racing Hyundais of Lo Sze Ho and Bayern Wip Wai Hei.
With Urrutia ninth, and Azcona the winner, the Spanish driver launched into a 19-point lead in the drivers’ championship, while Michelisz also closes up and is just a further 16 points behind the Uruguayan.
Thed Björk also set the fastest lap, which advances him one position on the grid from eighth to seventh.
Junesung Park’s fifth place secured the Korean driver the ETS Guest Star victory, while Diego Moran crossed the line 11th overall and was the first winner of the TCR Asia series this year.
Race 2 takes place at 10:40 local time (03:40 CEST) with SP Compétition’s Viktor Andersson starting from pole position.
Race 1
1. Mikel Azcona (BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N EV), 19 laps
2. Thed Bjork (Geely Cyan Racing, Geely Preface), 1.902
3. Norbert Michelisz (BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra EV, 6.696
Fastest lap: 1:42.529 Thed Björk
ETS Guest Star Trophy: Junesung Park (Solite Indigo Racing, Hyundai Elantra)
Championship points
1. M. Azcona, 265pts.; 2. S. Urrutia, 246; 3. Y. Ehrlacher, 230
Picture: WSC/Paddocker
