Archiv rubriky: TCR Eastern Europe

Adam Kout from Hyundai Janík Motorsport claimed his second race victory of the season, this time at Automotodrom Brno. Thanks to this win, he remains in contention for the title against his teammate, Maťo Homola.

The combined TCR Europe and TCR Eastern Europe race in Brno provided thrilling racing throughout the weekend. Levente Losonczy and Bartosz Groszek started from the front row, followed by Giovanni Scamardi and Ignacio Montenegro. TCR Eastern Europe drivers Adam Kout and Martin Kadlečík lined up in the third row, with championship leader Maťo Homola just behind them.

The grid, with more than 20 cars, got away cleanly, side by side into the first corner. However, in the second turn, Petr Čížek and Žarko Knego collided, sending both off the track, which led to the deployment of the safety car.

The highest-placed TCR Eastern Europe driver was Adam Kout from Hyundai Janík Motorsport in seventh position. Martin Kadlečík from Aditis Racing was ninth, followed by Davit Kajaia, Giacomo Ghermandi, Felipe Fernández from TCR Europe, and Maťo Homola.

After the restart, the battle on the track resumed fiercely. Kadlečík soon found himself right behind Kout, who was trying to overtake the TCR Europe drivers ahead of him. Giacomo Ghermandi held third place, but Maťo Homola passed Davit Kajaia and closed in on the Italian.

It seemed as though Ghermandi would hold onto third, but unfortunately, he retired his car in the closing stages of the race. As a result, Homola moved up to third place, with Davit Kajaia fourth and Ivars Vallers fifth. Behind them were Fraňo Dubreta, René Kircher, Jiří Zbožínek, and Jorden Dolischka.

Thanks to Kout’s win, the championship battle will go down to the final race event of the season at Salzburgring. While Homola still has a comfortable lead, Kout remains mathematically in contention. Although the drivers‘ title chase was not decided in Brno, the team championship went to Hyundai Janík Motorsport. Homola, Kout, and Zbožínek scored enough points throughout the season to win their third consecutive team championship in TCR Eastern Europe.

The fourth round of TCR Eastern Europe was marked by the success of the Hyundai Janík Motorsport team. Maťo Homola continued his tradition of Saturday victories, while on Sunday, Adam Kout celebrated his first win of the season at the Autodrom Most.

It seemed like the established pattern of this season would continue. In the previous three rounds at Balaton Park, Red Bull Ring, and Slovakia Ring, Maťo Homola with his Hyundai Elantra won every Saturday, and Attila Bucsi with his Hyundai i30 N TCR from the M1RA Motorsport team took the top spot every Sunday.

Homola absolutely dominated the Saturday race in Most. He secured pole position in the wet qualifying session and maintained his lead despite a slight nudge from Giacomo Ghermandi at the first chicane right after the start. Homola held onto first place with Adam Kout closely following him throughout the race. There was no battle between them, and instead, they pulled away from their pursuers, building a comfortable lead at the front.

However, the opening laps behind them were intense, and it took a few minutes for the order to settle. The race finished at a steady pace, which is typical for the first race of the weekend, where the starting grid is determined by qualifying. René Kircher with his Honda Civic from the Mertel Motorsport team secured third place ahead of Attila Bucsi, while Petr Čížek managed to keep Žarko Knego behind him in fifth.

The Sunday race was more exciting. Maťo Homola drew the highest possible number, 10, which meant the top ten drivers were reversed for the second race. Homola and Kout started from the fifth row. After a string of four second-place finishes, Kout was determined not to settle for another silver but aimed to win on his home track. In the first lap, he moved from ninth on the grid to take the lead and never looked back. His race seemed smooth, but two yellow phases and red flags made his path to his first win of the season more complicated. Nevertheless, he managed every restart safely, preventing second-place Petr Čížek with his Cupra from making an attack. Čížek, from the Expres Auto Racing team, achieved his first podium of the year, making it even sweeter as it was on his home track. The podium, filled with smiles, was completed by Croatian Žarko Knego with his Hyundai Elantra, who also celebrated his first top-three finish of the year.

For the first time this season, Attila Bucsi didn’t reach the podium. The young Hungarian had been contending with Homola for the title, but his fourth and sixth places in Most complicated his situation, allowing Adam Kout to close the gap to just six points.

There are still two rounds left in the season, which means the standings, with Homola, Bucsi, and Kout in the top three positions, can still change.

TCR Eastern Europe – Qualifying

TCR Eastern Europe – Race 1

TCR Eastern Europe – Race 2

Driver Standings

Juniors and Teams Standings

Adam Kout finally achieved his first win of the season after a couple of close calls, and there is no better place for it than Autodrom Most, which he knows very well. The driver from Hyundai Janík Motorsport is also the third different winner of the TCR Eastern Europe this season.

Thanks to the draw, the first row belonged to Jorden Dolischka with her Honda Civic and Vít Smejkal with a Cupra. Behind them started Ivars Vallers with an Audi and Jiří Zbožínek with a Hyundai Elantra. Žarko Knego (Hyundai Elantra) and Petr Čížek (Cupra) were in the third row, behind them championship contender Attila Bucsi (Hyundai i30) and René Kircher (Honda Civic). The fifth row belonged to teammates Adam Kout and yesterday’s winner Maťo Homola.

Smejkal took the lead at the lights with Dolischka in second going through the first chicane, and Ivars Vallers in third. Bucsi and Ghermandi had contact, causing Bucsi to go off the track.

Adam Kout had a fantastic opening lap, moving up through the field to lead the race after the first lap. Dolischka attacked Smejkal for second place, as Smejkal spun off into the gravel in the first chicane.

The safety car had to be deployed as Ivars Vallers also ended up in the gravel after hitting the barriers in the last corner. The order behind the safety car was Adam Kout, Petr Čížek, Žarko Knego, Davit Kajaia, Maťo Homola, Giacomo Ghermandi, Jiří Zbožínek, René Kircher, and Jorden Dolischka, who had dropped to the back of the field. However, due to two cars in the gravel and the need to repair the barrier, the race was red-flagged.

After the delay, the race was restarted behind the safety car. Kout kept the lead with Čížek in second and Knego under pressure from Kajaia and Homola. Kout was leading comfortably, looking for his first win of the season after four second places in previous rounds.

Homola soon passed Kajaia and moved into fourth place, but the safety car was deployed again because Giacomo Ghermandi’s car had stopped on the track.

With just two minutes to go, the safety car left the track and the drivers began to race for the last two laps. Kout again smartly made a gap and kept the lead with Čížek and Knego behind him. Kajaia attacked Homola and passed him in the first chicane. Homola dropped behind but soon repassed Kajaia again and retook fourth place.

Adam Kout showed great pace in this red-flag interrupted race and achieved his first win of the season, with home driver Petr Čížek and Žarko Knego finishing third. Championship leader Maťo Homola crossed the finish line fourth, and Davit Kajaia rounded out the top five.

This year, Jiří Zbožínek moved up from a fourth-generation Renault Clio to a Hyundai Elantra TCR. This step up to a faster car and the TCR Eastern Europe championship has benefited the Czech driver. With Hyundai Janík Motorsport team, he has been closing the gap to his teammates and recently secured his first podium finish in Slovakia.

From last year’s Clio Cup to TCR Eastern Europe with the winning team Janík Motorsport. What motivated this move?
Essentially, it was about finances. After last season in the Clio Cup, where I struggled due to numerous technical issues, I didn’t want to continue with the same car for another year. So, together with my dad, we started looking into the Clio V. However, we found out that the costs were almost on par with a TCR car. We kept pondering this until, during the winter, Janík Motorsport offered me a chance to join their team.

How significant is the step for a driver moving from a Clio to a Hyundai TCR? Did you have any habits from the Clio that you had to unlearn?
For me, it was quite a significant step because the TCR car is heavier, longer, and more powerful. I had to gradually get used to and learn to handle all these aspects, and I’m still learning. One issue was my habit of easing off the throttle too smoothly before corners, which I had to unlearn. The new skills I needed to develop in TCR included braking and car rotation in corners, where the rear end rotates during braking into the turn. Mastering these skills was crucial to keeping up with the fastest drivers.

During the first race weekend, you were still behind your teammates, but you’ve shown progress, culminating in a podium at Slovakia Ring. How important was that third place for you?
It was very important to me personally because I needed a good result. I’m very pleased that I achieved it, especially considering the preparation I did before each weekend and the hard work the team put in to ensure everything was in order. It was great to repay them with a podium finish.

How do you collaborate with team mates Maťo Homola and Adam Kout? How much do they help you progress?
We collaborate by discussing how to improve driving techniques, whether it’s about braking or cornering – basically, the overall driving style. Both have much more experience than I do, so I try to absorb as much knowledge as possible to learn and advance quickly. They have significantly helped my progress by reviewing onboard footage and data with me, analyzing my driving, and giving me advice on what to improve. I am very grateful for their help, which has undoubtedly pushed me forward.

Which race has been your biggest challenge so far, and why?
I’d say Balaton Park was the biggest challenge because it was my first time there, and I was in a new car that I had to adapt to. Additionally, I had to get used to the team, learn how to communicate and work within the team, making it the most challenging race for me in every aspect.

What are your expectations for the second half of the season? And how do you feel about the season finale at the unique Salzburgring? Have you ever raced there before?
I expect to continue where I left off in the second half of the season, and I hope to repeat my podium success. I’m really looking forward to Salzburgring because the track looks interesting and fast, consisting mostly of high-speed corners, which suits me well. I’ve never raced there before, but I’ll do my best to prepare on the simulator.

Adam Kout has a clear goal for his second year in TCR Eastern Europe – to improve his position in the final driver standings. In 2023, he secured one win and two additional podium finishes, landing him in third place overall. Moreover, his first victory came at the Autodrom Most, which motivates him to repeat that success in front of his home fans this year.

Adam, you’re in your second year racing in TCR Eastern Europe. How would you assess your experience in this series and with the Hyundai Janík Motorsport team so far?
I’m enjoying racing in TCR Eastern Europe with the Hyundai Elantra N TCR and I’m very grateful to be competing thanks to the ESET RaceStar project. Last year was mainly about gaining experience, but we were competitive and managed to achieve some good results. This year, we’ve built on that, and in most races, we’re fighting for top positions.

Did you set any specific goals for this season?
The goal for this year is to improve on last year’s third place. We have the speed, and I hope luck will be on our side too.

Last year, you won your first TCR Eastern Europe race in Most and in wet conditions. How do you remember that victory?
It was great to win at my home race in Most. It was my first race in the wet with a TCR car, and I was overjoyed. Plus, having my family, friends, and colleagues there to support me made it an intense experience.

How important is fan support to you?
I really appreciate the support, it’s an additional motivation that drives me forward. It’s even more special when we’re racing on home tracks.

How do you handle the pressure and expectations that come with motorsport and sports in general?
I don’t let the pressure get to me. Of course, there’s always a bit of nervousness before the start, but it disappears as soon as the engine starts and then I focus solely on the race.

Can you give us an idea of how you prepare for each race?
Physical preparation is basically year-round. I regularly run, hit the gym, cycle, and do ski mountaineering in the winter. Before race weekends, I review onboards and notes from last year’s races. It’s also crucial to switch my focus from work duties to concentrate fully on performance.

What advice would you give to young racers aspiring to get into motorsport?
If it’s their dream, they need to truly believe in it and train diligently. Then they can become really successful racers.