The battle for the title continues between team-mates
The penultimate round of this year’s TCR Eastern Europe season at the Brno Circuit was a special one. Not only has the situation in the title fight shifted, but the prestigious TCR Europe series also joined the grid.
The starting lineup in Brno grew to more than 20 TCR cars. Both the Saturday and Sunday sprints battles for victories and points happening simultaneously in TCR Europe and TCR Eastern Europe, providing plenty of action for spectators. Most of the crowd was rooting for the home drivers, led by Adam Kout and the returning Martin Kadlečík – and they did not disappoint.
The leader of this season is Maťo Homola from the Hyundai Janík Motorsport team. Despite his biggest rival for the title, Attila Bucsi, not participating in the Brno round, it doesn’t mean that Homola has the title secured. His next rival is, in fact, his closest – his team-mate, Adam Kout.
Homola didn’t take any chances in the Saturday sprint and crossed the finish line first in the TCR Eastern Europe class with his Hyundai Elantra. In the overall standings, only Franco Girolami and Aurélien Comte from TCR Europe finished ahead of him.
Martin Kadlečík came second in TCR Eastern Europe. The former Clio Cup Trophy champion is racing in selected events this year with an Audi RS3 for Aditis Racing, and he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to race on home soil. He proved his talent in every race, finishing second in a field of experienced drivers who have been competing all season. His second-place finish was no fluke, as he secured another silver in the second race.
Adam Kout finished third in the opening Brno sprint. While this increased his points gap to Homola, he had a chance to make up for it in Sunday’s race. The top ten drivers’ starting positions were reversed based on the results of the first sprint, meaning Kout started fourth, and Homola was back in eighth.
The start was once again tense, with the touring cars jostling into the first corner and continuing the battle. Drivers bumped against each other’s bonnets, trying to gain an advantage over their rivals. Unfortunately, in the second corner, a collision occurred between Žarko Knego and Petr Čížek, prompting the safety car to come out.
It wasn’t long before the racing resumed. Kout held the highest position among the TCR Eastern Europe drivers, but he had to fend off competition from the other championship, while Martin Kadlečík was hot on his heels. Both Czech drivers, racing on home soil, were cautious not to risk their excellent positions too much. Though there was a battle between them, everything stayed within fair play, and they finished in the same order. Adam Kout claimed his second win of the season (his first coming on home ground at Most), while Martin Kadlečík secured his third silver of the year.
Giacomo Ghermandi held third place for much of the race. The Italian, racing in the latest Honda Civic, has come close to the podium several times this season, but luck hasn’t been on his side. Unfortunately, Brno was no different, and he was forced to retire due to technical issues in the penultimate lap. This allowed Maťo Homola to move up to third in the final moments.
After the Brno weekend, the points gap between Homola and Kout is 34 points. This leaves the door open for a dramatic conclusion at the Salzburgring. However, the team championship is already decided. Maťo Homola, Adam Kout, and Jiří Zbožínek have secured enough points for Hyundai Janík Motorsport to celebrate the title early, after the first Brno sprint.
TCR Eastern Europe – Qualifying
