New teams, new drivers battle in familiar TC categories – TCR, TC, TCA
Austin, TX. – Touring Cars return to Circuit of the Americas during the Blancpain GT World Challenge America weekend with TC America. The refreshed touring car championship offers an action-packed sprint format with two 40-min races over the the weekend through three classes – TCR, TC, and TCA.
Sophomore season of TCR set for growth through privateer efforts
After a strong inaugural year of TCR competition, twelve entries make up the TCR field with Alfa Romeo, Audi, Honda, Hyundai, and Volkswagen represented. Much like GT4, the growth of TCR globally has proven to be an exciting formula for racers with a cost-effective purpose-built racecar featuring aggressive aerodynamics and performance.
Returning with sequential gearboxes, FCP Euro will field two Volkswagen GTI TCRs for Michael Hurczyn and 2018 TCR Rookie of the Year Nate Vincent. The two are poised to challenge for the championship with each having a year of TCR racing under their belts.
Longtime sportscar team Risi Competizione joins the series full-time with Alfa Romeo. James Walker will drive the #34 Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR as the team kicks-off their touring car program.
Both Honda and Hyundai had impressive 2018 seasons as Honda won the driver’s championship with Ryan Eversely and Hyundai took the Team and Manufacturer championships. For 2019, the focus shifts to customer racing with LAP Motorsports and LA Honda World representing Honda as Nelson Cheung drives the #14 Honda Civic Type R TCR. Mason Filippi who ended the season with a pair of podiums moves to Hyundai and will debut the new Veloster N TCR with TFB Performance.
New for 2019, the DSG subclass is a battle of Audi machinery. McCann Racing fields a two-car team for Michael McCann Jr. and Christian Cole. Alphasonic Motorsport make their TCR debut with Nelson Chan and Alain Lauziere.
eEuroparts.com ROWE Racing debuts in TCR with Bryan Putt in the #15 Audi RS3 LMS. Eddie Killeen joined the series for last year’s season finale and continues with TWOth Autosport for 2019. Todd Archer joins RS Werkes and will contest the #011 Audi.
The intense competition in TC contines in 2019
The TC class continues to be some of the best racing with wheel-to-wheel contests throughout the 40-min sprint races. For 2019, expect no less with sixteen drivers battling for top honors.
Reigning 2018 TC Champions Rearden Racing come back with the Nissan 370Z TC Spec and new driver Paul Terry behind the wheel of the #33 entry. TechSport Racing will also field a Nissan 370Z TC Spec with Joseph Federl driving the #23.
Returning with a three-car BMW effort, Rooster Hall Racing and Johan Schwartz were front runners all season. Joining Rooster Hall, Steve Streimer moves to a new team and new car with Richard Zulman rounding out the trio.
Toby Grahovec will do double duty and race a BMW M240iR with Fast Track Racing / Classic BMW. DRS debuted last season and returns to TC action for 2019 with driver Greg Nitzkowski in the #09 BMW M235iR.
Auto Technic Racing expands to a three-car BMW effort, with Robert Nimkoff, John Allen, and Tom Capizzi driving BMW M235iRs. GT winners Lone Star Racing join TC with Zane Hodgen driving the #4 BMW M235iR.
Back in Touring Car, Copart / Bimmerworld Racing debuts with a two-car BMW M240iR effort piloted by Cameron Evans and Chandler Hull. Murillo Racing’s Moisey Uretsky steps up from TCA to TC driving the #55 BMW M235iR.
Completing the field, NULITE and Peter Atwater join the grid for 2019 in the #66 BMW M235iR while GenRacer’s Jeff Ricca continues to be a contender in the #78 Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
Growth in TCA with experienced and young talent
The TCA class has undergone extensive growth over the offseason with an impressive grid of seventeen cars set to battle and MINI making its series debut.
2018 Team and Manufacturer Champions TechSport Racing and Subaru bring a five-car squad led by sports car standout Nick Wittmer. He’ll be joined by TCB Champion P.J. Groenke, Ben Bettenhausen, Damon Surzyshyn, and Robert Crocker.
Stepping up into pro racing, local Texas based team X-Factor Racing will field a six-car team with the new Honda Civic SI. Team owner Chris Halderman will lead the team with Stephen Jeu, Danny Soufi, Cole Ciraulo, and Taylor Hagler making their series debuts. X-Factor Racing will also provide support for fellow Honda driver Sally McNulty and #TEAMSALLY.
2018 TCA Rookie of the Year Jenny Gannett is set for her sophomore season in TCA with Ian Lacy Racing in the #10 Mazda Global MX5 Cup ND2. Ives Motorsports’ Jose DaSilva, who made several starts last season, will challenge for the TCA title this season in the #07 Mazda.
Copeland Motorsports brings two Mazda Global MX5 Cup cars with Dinah Weisberg moving from TC and Tyler Maxon making his series debut.
Last but not least, MINI JCW Team debuts in the series with a two-car program for Mark Pombo and Nate Noreberg in the MINI Cooper JCW.
> TCA America Entry List
> Official Schedule
Tickets are available at www.bit.ly/cota2019.
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