TCR Preview

Round 9 and 10 for the all-new TCR class is expected to see the battle between Ryan Eversley, Michael Lewis and Mark Wilkins in the top-three points positions.

The debut of the all-new TCR touring car class this year brought in five TCR auto makers – Alfa Romeo, Audi, Honda, Hyundai and Volkswagen – and the racing has been sensational at a variety of the 2018 tracks with Honda and Hyundai cars leading the way, driven by Eversley and Wilkins having three wins each and Lewis two in the first eight TCR races.

Eversley, a victor at VIR, Lime Rock and Portland, expanded his point lead to 17 markers after a solid Portland weekend in the No. 43 RealTime Racing Honda Civic Type-R TCR. Eversley’s competition has given him all he can handle at most events, but Ryan’s consistency has been the difference in the inaugural TCR season.

Michael Lewis (Image courtesy Bryan Herta Autosport)

Lewis, in the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb/Agajanian Hyundai i30 N TCR, ranks second in points followed by Wilkins, in the No. 99 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb/Agajanian Hyundai i30 N TCR, in third. Two DNFs have hurt Wilkins’ run at the TCR title this weekend.

Joining the fight at Utah will be Mason Filippi in the No. 44 RealTime Racing Honda Civic Type-R TCR along with the strong effort of the FCP Euro by HRD team with drivers Michael Hurczyn and Nate Vincent in the No. 71 and 72 Volkswagen Golf GTI TCRs.

Three Audi Sport RS3 LMS machines are in the entry list for Utah with Anthony Geraci in the No. 69 Heinlein Racing Development Audi Sport RS3 LMS, 2017 TCA champion Matt Fassnacht in the No. 74 Fooji/Murillo Racing Audi Sport RS3 LMS and youngster J.T. Coupal in the No. 77 Compass Racing Audi Sport RS3 LMS.

Young sprint car ace Jarett Andretti, son of John, will be in the No. 18 Copeland Motorsports/Tilton Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR in his first appearance at the Utah racing facility. Geraci’s Heinlein Racing Development teammate, Dwight Merriman, will pilot the team’s No. 73 Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR entry.

TC Preview
Coming off a clean sweep weekend at Portland (2 wins, 2 poles), local racing star Vesko Kozarov of Salt Lake City must be listed as the TC favorite at his home track with the No. 3 Rearden Racing Nissan 370Z TC Spec. Kozarov has four TC victories in eight starts this year.

Karl Wittmer is second in the TC points with TC Rounds 9 and 10 set for UMC’s doubleheader weekend with his No. 91 Classic BMW BMW M235iR.

Wittmer leads the BMW M235iR competitors along with recent TC race winner Johan Schwartz in the No. 80 Rooster Hall Racing BMW M235iR as well as Sean Quinlan in the No. 19 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW M235iR; Robert Nimkoff in the No. 20 AutoTechnic Racing BMW M235iR; Richard Zulman in the No. 82 Rooster Hall Racing BMW M235iR; Henry Schmitt in the No. 87 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW M235iR; Matt Travis in the No. 26 Classic BMW BMW M235iR; Jayson Clunie in the No. 27 Classic BMW BMW M235iR; Sean Quinlan in the No. 19 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW M235iR; and Greg Nitzkowski in the No. 09 DRS BMW M235iR.

TCA Preview
Three auto makes have been in battle all season in the TCA category with Honda, Subara and Mazda fighting for victories in the first eight rounds in 2018.

Tom O’Gorman, also a three-time TCA winner, currently leads the TCA point standings with the No. 94 TOMO Racing/HPD/GRIDLIFE Honda Civic Si. Gorman has posted a 25-point lead with four events remaining in the 12-race series.

Leading the Subaru challengers at Utah will be three-time race winner Eric Powell in the No. 95 TechSport/BRZHQ.com/P2P Subaru BRZ tS coupe along with 2017 TCB champion P.J. Groenke in the No. 25 TechSport Racing Subaru BRZ tS; Breton Williams in the No. 22 TechSport Racing Subaru BRZ tS; Spencer Patterson in the No. 79 TechSport Racing Subaru BRZ tS and Portland TCA double race winner Jeff Sexton in the No. 89 TechSport Racing Subaru BRZ tS.

Jenny Gannett in the No. 10 Ian Lacy Racing Mazda and Moisey Uretsky of Russia in the No. 55 Murillo Racing Mazda lead the Mazda lineup in TCA this weekend at UMC.

Event/Circuit:
3.048-mile, 14-turn permanent road circuit

Qualifying: (All times listed are MDT)
Saturday, August 11, 2018
8:35 AM – 8:55 AM Pirelli World Challenge – Touring Car
9:10 AM – 9:30 AM Pirelli World Challenge – GTS SprintX
9:45 AM – 10:05 AM Pirelli World Challenge – TCR/TCA
10:20 AM – 10:40 AM Pirelli World Challenge – GT SprintX

Races: (All times listed are MDT)
Live Internet Telecast (on www.world-challenge.com):
Saturday, August 11, 2018
11:30 AM – 12:10 PM Pirelli World Challenge – Touring Car Round 9 Race (40 minutes)
1:10 PM – 2:10 PM Pirelli World Challenge – GTS SprintX Round 9 Race (60 minutes)
2:30 PM – 3:10 PM Pirelli World Challenge – TCR/TCA Round 9 Race (40 minutes)
4:45 PM – 5:45 PM Pirelli World Challenge – GT SprintX Round 9 Race (60 minutes)

Sunday, August 12, 2018 (All times listed are MDT)
9:00 AM – 9:40 AM Pirelli World Challenge – Touring Car Round 10 Race (40 minutes)
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pirelli World Challenge – GTS SprintX Round 10 Race (60 minutes)
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Pirelli World Challenge – TCR/TCA Round 10 Race (40 minutes)
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Pirelli World Challenge – GT SprintX Round 10 Race (60 minutes)

Race Lengths:
60 minutes (GT SprintX, GTS SprintX)
40 minutes (TCR/TC/TCA)

Television (on CBS Sports Network): All times listed re: CBS broadcasts are Eastern.
GT SprintX: August 22, 8:00 p.m. EDT
GTS SprintX: August 22, 9:00 p.m. EDT
TCR/TCA: August 26, 4:00 p.m. EDT
TC: August 26, 3:00 p.m., EDT