Target Competition drivers dominated a lively Race 2 in Buriram, with the Italian team signing a brilliant double win. Stefano Comini took a lights-to-flag victory, his fifth of the season, claiming back the leadership in the standings, by only two points.
Loris Hezemans finished second after a great performance, which saw the young Dutchman defending fiercely his first TCR podium from the attacks of Pepe Oriola and Jordi Gené. The excellent performance of the SEAT cars was completed by the fifth position taken by Lorenzo Veglia, again after a close battle with Tomas Engström and Sergey Afanasyev.
Machines of other brands had a much bitter Race 2: the Honda cars of both Gianni Morbidelli and Kevin Gleason were put out of contention (the Italian was fighting for the podium), and the pole-sitting Opel of Hugo Valente was pushed off the grid with the engine stalled after the warm up lap.
There was a great battle among the TCR Asia drivers; eventually Tin Sritrai managed to win from his fellow countryman Munkong Sathienthirakul giving Thai fans a brilliant 1-2 finish; Sritrai’s teammate Kevin Pu finished third.
Key moments
Grid – The Subaru of Menu (differential) and the Volkswagen of Grachev (gearbox) don’t make the grid
Start – Valente’s Opel stalls at the end of the warm-up lap and is pushed into the pits; Comini takes the lead from Hezemans, Oriola, Gené, Afanasyev and Veglia.
Lap 1 – Morbidelli takes fourth from Afanasyev
Lap 2 – Comini, Hezemans and Oriola are very close, with Morbidelli and Gené not far behind.
Lap 3 – Gleason stops in the pits following a contact, with a broken wheel
Lap 4 – The first five are within two seconds, with some rubbing between Oriola and Morbidelli who manages to pass and takes third
Lap 5 – Münnich passes Sathienthirakul for 9th.
Lap 6 – Morbidelli gets closer to Hezemans; in the TCR Asia there is a great fight for 3rd between de Souza, Holland and Pu
Lap 8 – Oriola retakes third from Morbidelli with a great move on the straight.
Lap 9 – Veglia, Afanasyev and Engström have a close fight for 6th
Lap 10 – Morbidelli stops on the track with engine problems; Hezemans and Oriola fight for 2nd
Lap 11 – Sritrai overtakes Sathienthirakul to lead in TCR Asia
Lap 12 – Comini has pulled away a bit, as Hezemans and Oriola carry on fighting
Lap 13 – Oriola tries everything to pass Hezemans and they make contact a couple of times
Lap 14 – Hezemans resists, finishing second behind Comini and ahead of Oriola and Gené
