Germany’s Engstler Motorsport will campaign two new Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR cars in the 2016 TCR Asia Series, one for multiple Chinese Touring Car champion Andy Yan, the other for multiple Macau Touring Car champion Filipe de Souza. Both drivers contested rounds of the inaugural TCR Asia Series last season, Yan making a cameo appearance for FRD Motorsport in the opening round, whilst de Souza was a regular for the Roadstar Racing SEAT team finishing fifth in the series.
Recently both Yan and de Souza flew to Valencia for the official TCR International Series pre-season test, turning quality laps in the new Volkswagen GTi TCR, which will make it’s debut in the TCR Asia Series this year. Engstler Motorsport’s entry into the TCR Asia Series adds great strength to the emerging Asian touring car series that saw solid fields in 2015, a season which was ultimately won by Prince Racing’s Michael Choi in a Honda Civic TCR.
WSC Asia Limited CEO David Sonenscher says he expects strong fields across the ten round championship this year. Engstler Motorsport becomes the second two-car Golf GTi TCR team entered in the 2016 TCR Asia Series, following hot on the heels of the announcement that China’s TeamWork Motorsport team will field two cars, with the release of their driver lineup coming soon.
The opening round of the 2016 TCR Asia Series will get underway on 14-15 May at the former Formula 1 venue in South Korea. Any teams looking at becoming involved with the TCR concept in the Asian region, should make contact via [email protected]
2016 TCR Asia Series – calendar
Rnd#1/#2, 14-15 May – Korea International Circuit (South Korea)
Rnd#3/#4, 11-12 June – Buriram International Circuit (Thailand)
Rnd#5/#6, 19-21 August – Shanghai International Circuit (China)
INVITATIONAL, 17-18 September – Marina Bay Street Circuit (Singapore)*
Rnd#7/#8, 22-23 October – Zhejiang Circuit (China)
Rnd#9/#10, 18-20 November – Guia Street Circuit (Macau)*
*alongside TCR International Series
