Honda cars fill the podium in TCR Chinese Taipei’s Round 2

The #91 GH-Team AAI Honda Civic claimed its second victory in as many rounds of the TCR Chinese Taipei series, with Shi Shiwei and Chen Junhua sharing driving duties during the one-hour race. Their teammate Liu Weizhi finished second once again in the #11 Civic, while Border Racing’s #75 Civic of You Yihao and Huang Jianye completed an all-Honda podium. The BC Racing Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce driven by Huang Junzhi and Liao Junhao won the Group B and finished fourth overall.

Liu Weizhi had topped both qualifying sessions, winning the pole position ahead of his GH-Team AAI colleagues Shi Shiwei and Chen Junhua. 

At the start, Liu got away well but ran wide at Turn 1 and dropped to third behind Chen’s Civic and the #14 Audi of Lu Sihao. The latter stole the lead from Chen Junhua before the end of the first lap, while Chen Hongwei spun at the last turn in the CUPRA TCR that was leading the Group B.

The two Honda cars began to put the pressure on the leading Audi, and in lap 5 Chen retook the first position and pulled away, leaving Lu defending the second place from Liu. Behind them, Wang Shangyuan’s Audi, You Yihao’s Honda and Huang Junzhi’s Alfa Romeo were fighting for P4, with Huang passing both the cars ahead in lap 10. Moments later, Lu Sihao’s pace faded, he lost second to Liu Weizhi and then third to Huang Junzhi who was the fastest driver on the track.

Tewnty-five minutes into the race, the teams began to serve the mandatory pit stops, with Liu’s Honda soon followed by Huang’s Alfa. The leader waited until the 30-minute mark and then handed the wheel to Shi Shiwei.

After all cars have pitted, the #91 Honda driven by Shi was still leading, five seconds clear of Liu’s #15, with the #75 Honda of Huang Jianye in third position a further ten seconds adrift. The #11 Alfa Romeo was running fourth with Liao Junhao at the wheel.

There were no further changes in the top positions: Shi cruised to take the chequered flag nearly twenty seconds before Liu, with Huang Jianye completing the podium ahead of Liao Junhao who was the winner in Group B.

The season will resume for round three at Lihpao on 26/27 August.

Lihpao – Race

1. Shi Shiwei/Chen Junhua (GH-Team AAI, Honda Civic), 32 laps

2. Liu Weizhi (GH-Team AAI, Honda Civic), 19.919

3. You Yihao/Huang Jianye (Border Racing, Honda Civic), 30.421

Championship points

1. Shi Shiwei, 40 pts; 2. Liu Weizhi, 30; 3. Tang Weifeng & Chen Junhua, 20

Picture: TCR Chinese Taipei