Homola and Czepiel claim double win for Janík Motorsport

Mat’o Homola and Carlo Czepiel shared race wins in TCR Eastern Europe opener at Oschersleben, where the Janík Motorsport Hyundai Elantra N cars dominated the field. With victory in Race 1 and second in Race 2, Homola ended the weekend on top of the standings, 10 points clear of his Polish teammate Czepiel who celebrated his TCR debut on the higher step of the podium. 

Race 1 – Petr Fulín’s hopes to convert the pole into a win evaporated at the start, when his CUPRA was passed by both the Hyundai cars of Adam Kout and Homola. Kout then ran wide on the lap 1, which allowed Homola through into the lead. Behind the trio, René Kircher passed Davit Kajaia for P4, and Sebastian Steibel moved up three places up to fifth ahead of Kajaia.

The race became processional, although a four-way fight for P5 developed between Steibel, Kajaia, Czepiel and Tobias Poschik. Kajaia attacked Steibel on Lap 8, but the German driver held the position.

Up front, Fulín closed on Kout for second position and the CUPRA eventually passed the Hyundai on Lap 13. On Lap 15, Kajaia finally made a decisive passing move and climbed to fifth, with Czepiel also passing Steibel on the race’s final lap to claim P6. 

Homola’s lead was just too great for Fulín and so Janík Motorsport claimed first and third places on the podium with Fulín’s CUPRA sandwiched between the pair. The two Mertel Motorsport Honda Civic FK7 cars of Kircher and Kajaia completed the top five.

Race 2 – Žarko Knego and Petr Čižek shared the front row of the grid after the draw that reversed the first ten positions of Race 1, but it was Poschik who sprinted from P3 to the lead, followed by Knego and Czepiel. During the first lap, Knego dropped to fifth, behind Czepiel, Čižek and Kircher, then he crashed at the Hotel bend and retired. As Czepiel closed on Poschik, Čižek was defending the third place from a pack of chasers that included Kircher, Homola, Kout and Fulín.

In lap 6, Czepiel drew up alongside Poschik and passed him for the lead into Turn 1. One lap later, Kircher made a mistake and lost P4 to Homola; the German then dropped further as he was passed by Kout and Fulín. In lap 9, Homola moved into second, overtaking Čižek who later dropped down to eighth behind Kout, Fulín, Kircher and Kajaia. Homola provided the last thrill as he passed Poschik in lap 15, to finish second behind his teammate Czepiel. 

The second event of the season will be on 28/30 April at the Hungaroring.

Oschersleben – Race 1

1. Mat’o Homola (Janík Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N), 17 laps

2. Petr Fulín (Fullinrace Academy, CUPRA Leon Competición), 1.072

3. Adam Kout (Janík Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N), 2.650

Oschersleben – Race 2

1. Carlo Czepiel (Janík Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N), 17 laps

2. Mat’o Homola (Janík Motorsport, Hyundai Elantra N), 8.209

3. Tobias Poschik (Aditis Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS), 9.554

Championship points

1. M. Homola, 44 pts; 2. C. Czepiel, 34; 3. P. Fulín 31 

Picture: TCR Eastern Europe/Petr Frýba