Autopolis hosts TCR Japan’s first ever event

The new TCR Japan championship begins its maiden season this weekend at Autopolis with 16 entries representing Alfa Romeo (2 cars), Audi (5), Honda (5) and Volkswagen (4).
Three teams have already experienced TCR competition such as the Hong Kong-based KCMG that will field three Honda Civic cars for team principal Paul Ip, the 2015 WEC LMP2 vice champion Matt Howson and former WTCC driver Yukinori Taniguchi.
The BRP and Adenau Racingline Performance teams are regular competitors in the TCR class of the Super Taikyu; BRP will run two Audi RS 3 LMS cars for ‘Hirobon’ and Masayuki Ueda, while ARP entered a Volkswagen Golf GTI for Jun Sato.
Hitotsuyama Racing, a Super GT regular, fields one Audi for Takuro Shinohara; the former Asia Le Mans Series GTE champion Shogo Mitsuyama and Lamborghini Asia Trophy runner up Takeshi Matsumoto drive VW Golf GTI cars for the Green Brave team and Team Wakayama respectively. Two Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce cars are run by the Go&Fun Squadra Corse for Shuji Maejima and by Moto Racing for ‘Mototino’.
The event will begin Friday with two 30-minute Free Practice sessions; Saturday and Sunday will both feature a 20-minute Qualifying and a race of 23 minutes plus one lap.

Entry list
5 - Yu Kanamaru (JPN), Team Goh Models, Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR
7 - Jun Makino (JPN), Nilzz Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS
10 - Jun Sato (JPN), Adenau - Racingline Performance, Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
18 - Matthew Howson (GBR), KCMG, Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR
19 - 'Hirobon' (JPN), Birth Racing Project, Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
21 - Takuro Shinohara (JPN), Hitotsuyama Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS
22 - Paul Ip Kung Ching (HKG), KCMG, Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR
23 - 'Yoshiki' (JPN), N-Speed, Audi RS 3 LMS
24 - 'Kenji' (JPN), N-Speed, Audi RS 3 LMS
25 - Takeshi Matsumoto (JPN), RT Team Wakayama, Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
33 - Shuji Maejima (JPN), Go&Fun Squadra Corse, Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR
52 - Shogo Mitsuyama (JPN), Green Brave, Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
55 - 'Mototino' (JPN), Moto Racing, Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR
62 - Reshu Shioya (JPN), Team G/Motion, Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR
72 - Yukinori Taniguchi (JPN), KCMG, Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR
190 - Masayuki Ueda (JPN), Birth Racing Project, Audi RS 3 LMS