BRC Hyundai N Squadra corse charges into TCR World Tour South American double-header
BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse travels to South America for the continuation of the 2023 Kumho TCR World Tour this weekend (18-20 August), where the series will visit Uruguay and then Argentina for the fifth and sixth rounds of the season.
The team aims to continue its run of podium finishes after Mikel Azcona secured a third-place finish with his Hyundai Elantra N TCR in Hungary before the summer break. Team-mate Norbert Michelisz did not have the weekend he had hoped for at home, finishing sixth in Race 1 and 19th in Race 2 after early contact.
As a result, Michelisz dropped to second in the Drivers’ standings with Azcona just behind in third. BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse occupies second place in the Teams’ standings.
The two upcoming rounds will see the Kumho TCR World Tour grid line up alongside drivers currently competing in TCR South America, with a joint field of up to 35 cars expected to contest both weekends.
The Autodromo Victor Borrat Fabini in El Pinar, Uruguay will host the first South American round, providing the drivers with a new challenge. The clockwise circuit is both high-speed and technical, with a combination of flowing sequences and sharp corners. There have been some recent upgrades ahead of the visit to widen the track, which the grid will get its first taste of during the shakedown.
The TCR World Tour weekend in Uruguay starts on Friday 18 August with the shakedown session. Practice and qualifying take place on Saturday 19 August, with both races to be held on Sunday 20 August.
The sixth round takes place at the Autódromo Internacional José Carlos Bassi in La Pedrera, Argentina a week later (25-27 August). The 4.368km street circuit is in San Luis and the Kumho TCR World Tour will be the only international car racing series to visit Argentina in 2023. Its main feature is the front straight, which measures 30 metres wide – ensuring plenty of overtaking action.
The itinerary in Argentina begins with the first practice session on Friday 25 August. Second practice, qualifying and Race 1 take place on Saturday 26 August, with the final race scheduled for Sunday 27 August.
Team Principal of BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse Gabriele Rizzo said: “These next two rounds will be a challenge for us as they are circuits we have never visited before. We are looking forward to racing in new countries and seeing what we can achieve with the Hyundai Elantra N TCR after some strong performances in the first part of the season in Europe. The practice sessions will be crucial for us to get up to speed quickly if we want to continue fighting at the front of the field and stay in contention for the titles.”
Norbert Michelisz said: “I’m looking forward to getting back in the Hyundai Elantra N TCR and I’m excited to race in new countries. I’m not sure what to expect from the next two weekends as it’s going to be challenging, but I hope we can continue the momentum that we had during the European rounds. It is difficult to make predictions as it is new for us all, but the main aim will be to stay focused and score as many points as possible to maintain my position in the standings.”
Mikel Azcona said: “I’m really excited to begin the second part of the season. I’ve raced in South America before and enjoyed it, but I have never been to these two circuits so I can’t wait to get the first few laps under my belt. We will have to learn quite quickly in the early parts of the weekend to bring home some strong results like we were able to do in the beginning part of the season. I am confident that we will be able to do this with the Hyundai Elantra N TCR and believe we will be fighting at the front of the field.”