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TCR Korea @ Yeongam
Home glory for
Hyundai
Indigo Racing’s Charlie
Kang Byung Hui was crowned the first TCR Korea champion in the series’
finale at Yeongam’s Korea International Circuit. Kang grabbed the title
halfway through the last race, when the E-Rain Motorsport Volkswagen Golf
GTI of his rival Andrew Kim retired with a broken driveshaft while he was
running in fifth position ahead of Kang’s Hyundai i30 N.
Kim had managed to take the lead in the standings after Race 1, with a
nine-point margin over Kang, but after Race 2 he dropped back to second,
six points behind the champion.
Kang’s was the first title claimed by Hyundai in its maiden full season
in TCR, which, appropriately, happened in the Korean brand’s home
country.
In Race 1, pole sitter guest driver Peter Terting led the field at the start
from Noh Dong Gi, Kang Dong Woo, Kim Jin Soo and Andrew Kim; Charlie Kang
– who had been excluded from Qualifying after his car failed to pass the
ride height check – and Jung Nam Su started from the pit lane. Having
built a comfortable margin, Terting was given a drive-through for a
jump-start and rejoined in sixth position; Noh Dong Gi inherited the lead
in the E-Rain Motorsport Hyundai, while Andrew Kim moved up to second. On
lap 9, Charlie Kang and Kang Dong Woo collided while fighting for fourth position
and the latter retired with broken rear suspension. Terting overtook
Charlie Kang and Kim Jin Soo, moving up to third. In the final part of
the race Andrew Kim closed the gap from Noh Dong Gi, but couldn’t get
close enough to overtake him and finished second by six tenths. Charlie
Kang finished fourth, but was then dropped to sixth by a 30-second time
penalty for his incident with Kang Dong Woo.
In the second race, Terting looked set to make up for the disappointment
of the previous race. He led from the start and built a comfortable
margin, but on lap 17 he pitted with a flat front tyre and rejoined to
finish fourth. Tyre issues also hit Race 1 winner Noh Dong Gi who lost
one lap in the pits and finished fifth and Kang Dong Woo. Series newcomer
Kim Jin Soo in his Indigo Racing Hyundai was victorious, becoming the
fifth different winner in six races. During the final lap, Jung Nam Su
grabbed second position in his Brand New Racing Golf GTI after a brief
battle with Charlie Kang, a result that helped Jung to be classified
third in the final standings.
Photos: TCR Korea
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