Thai team BBR secures its fourth win in the 24H Series

TCR Teams’ championship leader BBR has secured its fourth win in the 24H Series at the 24H Portimão and might also have claimed its first-ever 1-2 finish had luck gone its way. 

The Thai team was running first and second at two-thirds distance, while problems for its competitors meant the duo had also pulled ten laps clear of its nearest rival. Shortly after daybreak though, the #158 CUPRA Leon Competición driven by Chariya Nuya, Munkong Sathienthirakul, Sandy Stuvik, Grant Supaphongs and Nattanid Leewattanavalagul, which had led throughout the opening four hours before losing its alternator belt, retired following an engine bay fire.

That left the sister #159 CUPRA TCR of Kantadhee Kusiri, Kantasak Kusiri, Anusorn Asiralertsiri, Tanart Sathienthirakul and Pasarit Promsombat to complete a trouble-free run and collect BBR’s fourth victory of the season. Such was BBR’s pace that the TCR winner finished seventh overall. The win further strengthened the Thai team’s lead in the TCR European standings.

Despite losing power, the AC Motorsport Audi RS 3 LMS shared by Hongkongers David Lau, Tommy Ku, Shaun Thong and Andy Yan completed a strong run to second in-class, just ahead of the Wolf-Power Racing Audi RS 3 LMS of Jasmin Preisig, Ivars Vallers, Calle Bergman and Charles Dawson. The latter had been in contention for TCR victory at half-distance only to suffer two separate driveshaft failures and a differential issue. 

The next round of the 24H Series is the 24H Barcelona on 9/11 September. 

Championship standings
1. BBR 78 pts; 2. Wolf-Power Racing 57; 3. Holmgaard Motorsport, 43 

Picture: Creventic/Petr Frýba