VALENCIA, SPAIN (Friday, October 18, 2024) – One of the founding disciplines featured at the inaugural edition of the FIA Motorsport Games in 2019, the Touring Car category will once again be a fiercely contested category at the 2024 event held at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia.
Competitors will battle it out in two-litre turbocharged touring cars built to TCR regulations, vying for position across two Free Practice sessions, Qualifying and a Qualifying Race, before the all-important 30-minute Main Race determines the medals on Sunday afternoon.
Audi, CUPRA, Honda and Hyundai are among the brands represented in the category in this year’s FIA Motorsport Games.
Argentinian drivers have been at the forefront of TCR racing since its inception and currently boast no fewer than five drivers in the top 15 globally ranked stars.
It is little surprise then that reigning TCR South American Champion and current TCR Spain title contender, Ignacio Montenegro, will be one of the favourites for gold.
19-year-old Montenegro has previously won a TCR Spain race in Valencia, plus he also set the TCR lap record at the track in the Winter Series earlier this year.
Furthermore, Montenegro returns to the FIA Motorsport Games, having narrowly missed out on a podium at Circuit Paul Ricard back in 2022.
One of the drivers standing in the Argentine’s way will be his TCR Spain title rival, Jenson Brickley, also a race winner at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in TCR Spain.
Briton Brickley leads the standings with two races of the season remaining so the young talent will be gunning for outright glory once more in Valencia.
Local hero Eric Gené will be another contender, with home track advantage and a partisan crowd aiding the Spanish teenager’s bid for glory at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games.
Gené comes from a motorsport family, with his father Jordi a race winner in the FIA World Touring Car Championship between 2005-2010, as well as having multiple TCR victories to his name. His uncle Marc is an ex-Formula 1 driver, long-time Ferrari test driver and 24 Hours of Le Mans race winner with Peugeot in 2019.
René Povlsen (Denmark), Jonathan Engström (Sweden) and Megan Tomlinson (Canada) – the latter being the only female in the Touring Car category – all have TCR experience of the 2.49-mile layout in Valencia.
Engström has been dovetailing his touring car commitments in 2024, competing in TCR Denmark, as well as racing an electric BMW i4 in the all-electric Scandinavian Touring Car Championship.
Another driver riding high in the TCR World Rankings is Adam Kout, the Czech Republic driver having finished as runner-up in the 2024 TCR Eastern Europe Championship. Kout is currently ranked 14th in the world, making him a likely contender for honours.
Brazilian Raphael Reis has contested the TCR South American and TCR Brazil series in each of the last three seasons and has never finished outside of the top three in the final standings.
Like Montenegro, Reis also returns to FIA Motorsport Games action and will be looking to bounce back after the South American hobbled into retirement in the Main Race back in 2022. A career high of 12th in the TCR World Rankings and a wealth of experience suggests that Reis will also be a contender for silverware.
René Kircher is another of the truly established touring car drivers, a former runner-up in TCR Eastern Europe, so the German will be one to watch in Valencia.
Turkey’s Zekai Özen is a four-time former national karting champion but has TCR experience, having contested two races in Italy in 2023 as well as taking part in the TCR European Endurance series.
Anwar Avik became the first Bangladeshi to win an international motorsport event and international motorsport championship, so he’ll be looking to perform well for his country once more at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games.
France and Italy will also be represented in Valencia later this month, with both drivers expecting to contend for honours.
Team France’s Aurélien Comte finished second in TCR Europe this season, whilst Team Italy’s Marco Butti has been a podium finisher in the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour in 2024.
Giovanni Scamardi will challenge for Belgium and comes with good touring car experience, scoring a TCR victory in France as well as competing in TCR Europe this season.
Indonesia enters the Touring Car category for the first time with Umar Abdullah behind the wheel, the TCR Asia competitor having taken a maiden win in the series earlier this year.
That completes the 15-car line-up in the quest for glory in the Touring Car category, which is sure to provide high-octane bumper-to-bumper action at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games.
Touring Car track action begins on Friday, 25 October, with 2x 30-minute Free Practice sessions at 11:35 and 15:25, respectively. Qualifying commences at 09:55 on Saturday before the Qualifying Race takes place at 15:20 later the same day. The medal-deciding Main Race is scheduled to begin at 09:45 on Sunday.
TOURING CAR
Entry List
Category Info:
For 2-litre turbocharged touring cars built to international TCR Regulations. One Qualifying Race determines the grid for the Main Race, which decides the medals.
Format:
Free Practices: 2 x 30 min, Qualifying: 1 x 30 min, Qualifying race: 1 x 25 min + 1 lap (standing start), Main race: 1 x 30 min + 1 lap (standing start).
.
Note: As at 17 October 2024. Entry lists and timing remain subject to change.