Just days after the announcement that the Goodyear Touring Car Trophy will enter a new era in 2021, organisers are delighted to report that two new-to-the-UK cars will line up on the TCR Class grid when the season kicks off in April.
Just arrived at the Maximum Motorsport premises are two Hyundai i30 N TCRs, both cars collected this week from Hyundai Motorsport’s headquarters in Alzenau, Germany.
After being built by the Korean manufacturer’s official race and rally operation, the two cars were shipped to the States where they were campaigned in 2018 by front-running Hyundai USA-backed team Bryan Herta Autosport. After multiple race wins and having secured the TC America Team and Manufacturer Championships, the cars returned to the factory in Germany.
“It’s a great start to our rejuvenated programme to see these two championship-winning cars in the UK”, said Goodyear Touring Car Trophy Manager and Maximum Motorsport owner Stewart Lines.
“This addition to our grid is particularly significant for our series, as the i30 N TCR is a car that was designed, commissioned and built by Hyundai. The company has made a huge commitment to the TCR concept on a global scale and we appreciate the help and support they have provided us so far.”
When it comes to who will be driving these new additions to the TCR UK burgeoning entry list, Stewart added: “While we are not in a position to make an official announcement just yet, we already have drivers lined-up and we’ll be able to confirm who they are early in the new year. 2021 is shaping up to be a fantastic season and a big step forward for the Goodyear Touring Car Trophy and TCR in the UK.”
Managing the commercial side of the factory operation is Hyundai’s Customer Racing department, who are keeping a watchful eye on the development of the TCR programme in the UK as the department’s Operations Leader Andrew Johns explains:
“We have been delighted to see the success of the Hyundai i30 N TCR in the UK since the series started in 2018, with Lewis Kent winning the title in 2020. We’ve always seen the potential for TCR in Britain and therefore, we are very excited to see more of our cars competing in 2021.
“I’m sure it will be a great boost to the new-look series and I look forward to watching the progress of our cars and seeing how the championship develops over the coming seasons.”
Further developments surrounding Goodyear Touring Car Trophy and TCR UK teams and drivers will be announced over the coming weeks.
