SEAT has announced the launch of CUPRA, a new brand with its own identity, which will be integrated in the company. CUPRA, which has always been SEAT’s ultimate expression of sportiness, becomes its own entity, created to develop models in conjunction with SEAT.
“CUPRA is a big opportunity for SEAT, for our customers and for the business,” said SEAT President Luca de Meo. “The whole project has surfaced as the dream of a group of people which were looking for a way to conquer a new group of car lovers.”
CUPRA will also encompass the entire motorsport and racing division, an area that until now was the responsibility of SEAT Sport and which will be directly integrated into the new brand.
SEAT Vice-president for Sales and Marketing Wayne Griffiths highlighted: “Our ambition for the CUPRA brand is to double the sales within the next 4-5 years, focusing our business model on four main pillars: distribution, partnerships, racing and product.”
The CUPRA TCR is the brand’s first racing car and will compete in the TCR series in the 2018 season.

Tom Coronel will race for Boutsen Ginion Racing in the 2018 WTCR at the wheel of a Honda Civic Type R TCR.
The Dutchman had already driven for the Belgian team last year, in the TCR Benelux – in which he scored three race victories at Zolder – and in the TCR International Series at Spa-Francorchamps.

“Many people know that this is a development I hoped to see two years ago already. The WTCR is a worthy successor of the FIA WTCC in which I participated every season, but it is fair to say that, from a sporting perspective, I was often making up the numbers in the most recent years. Now, we are facing a new challenge with identical equipment for everybody, at tracks all over the world and for me an excellent situation with a brand-new Honda Civic built by JAS Motorsport and run by Boutsen Ginion Racing. A car that has specially been built for this championship and that allows us to take on the other brands at a level playing field. Personally, I reckon that this could very well be the best season start of my entire career in touring car racing. It certainly is the best package I have had in the last ten years,” Coronel commented.

Following its commitment to take part in the WTCR with two Hyundai i30 N TCR cars, the BRC Racing Team announced a parallel programme with the Korean manufacturer in TCR Italy. Two Hyundai i30 N cars will be campaigned for Federico Paolino and Eric Scalvini.
Paolino who raced last year in the Italian SEAT León Cup said: “It’s going to be an apprenticeship year for me in a TCR car. And for this reason I have joined the BRC Racing Team that has a lot of experience with the Hyundai i30 N. I had the opportunity to test the car a few months ago and I was really impressed.”
One of the front runners in last year’s TCR Italy in which he was classified second with three race wins, Eric Scalvini added: “I am excited by the new challenge with a new car and a new team. I will do my best to fight for the Italian title once again, like in 2017. I am determined to test a lot and get used to the Hyundai i30 N as soon as possible.”

The Racing Company (TRC), in association with M1 GT Racing will take part in the new TCR class of the Pirelli World Challenge with an Audi RS3 LMS.
Racing Director, Jocelyn Daniel said: “To start our effort in an international series such as the Pirelli World Challenge corresponds with our long-term vision. We want to stay in this series for a long time and evolve with the program. It will eventually open doors to other series and will surely allow us to meet drivers for a second Audi RS3 LMS entry.”
Jérimy Daniel will race for TRC, the Canadian was crowned Vice-Champion of the 2014 GT3 Porsche Canada Cup, Gold Class and he has since been driving in the Canadian Touring Car Championship series.
The Racing Company will be assisted by M1 GT Racing; M1 GT's Technical Director Rémi Lanteigne is excited with this partnership: “We looked at several options and series to compete in for 2018 and the PWC TCR program best suited what we wanted. We will be able to help TRC develop their side of the program in America since they are already very well known in Canada. Together, we will be a winning combination.”

Heinlein Racing Development announced its debut in the Pirelli World Challenge TCR class in 2018. The team will be campaigning three Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR cars for Dwight Merriman, Michael Hurczyn and Nate Vincent.
Merriman is taking on the challenge of professional Touring Car racing after years of club racing and a successful campaign in the US Radical Cup last year. Hurczyn and Vincent will be piloting the two remaining cars that are the fruits of a partnership between FCP Euro and HRD.
Founder and principal of HRD, Tivadar Heinlein explained: “It’s time for us to be back in Pro-Racing under our own HRD banner. We are already in high gear prepping for the season, bringing together a blend of well-respected, veteran team members and some young and enthusiastic people to create the right balance for a successful season.”

The HP Racing will continue to take part in the ADAC TCR Germany and announced that it will expand its line up to a second car.
After switching from a SEAT León to an Opel Astra in the last event of the 2017 season at Hockenheim, Harald Proczyk finished on a high note, setting pole position and scoring one race win, which helped him to be classified a brilliant fourth in the Drivers’ standings. This convinced the Austrian driver to keep on racing with the Kissling Motorsport-built Astra.
The team has added a second Astra for the 2018 campaign and Proczyk will be joined by Luke Wankmüller, a German youngster who made his car racing debut in last year’s Renault Clio Cup Central Europe.