Zhang Zhen Dong and Sun Chao encore for MG

MG XPower drivers Zhang Zhen Dong and Sun Chao won both of Sunday’s TCR China races at Jiangsu, ensuring all four MG drivers won a race this weekend, but it was a tough day for championship leader Ma Qing Hua, who was taken out in the first race.
Rainey He started from pole position for the first race of the day in his MG, but the Lynk & Co cars all got off the line well, with Wang Tao’s AutoHome Racing Team car leaping straight into the lead from second on the grid, while Ma Qing Hua shot down the inside of three MG cars to move up to third from sixth.
Unfortunately, as Ma was side-by-side and on the inside of Rodolfo Ávila’s MG into Turn 1, Ávila lost control on the exit and spun across the track into both Ma and the other MG of Sun Chao. Both Ávila and Sun were able to rejoin at the back of the pack, but Ma was out of the race with a broken front-left upright. The safety car was called for eight laps as they recovered the points leader’s stricken Lynk & Co 03.
When the race resumed on lap eight, Zhang Zhen Dong quickly passed teammate He for second, with the Teamwork car of Yang Xi also getting ahead of He for third at the end of the lap. Ávila was on a recovery drive through the decimated field, and quickly worked his way back up to third, passing Yang on lap 11.
Up front, Wang made a mistake at the chicane on lap 16 and went off the circuit, rejoining behind Zhang, who was effectively handed an easy victory, with Wang and Ávila completing the podium.
In the final race, Sun Chao started from pole position ahead of Ávila who lost a spot to the fast-starting Lynk & Co of Wang into Turn 1, but the Macanese was able to retake the position before the end of the lap.
Ma had a more conservative start this time and held station in sixth, where he found himself stuck behind the MG of Race 1 winner Zhang for over half the race. Ma eventually got ahead of Zhang on lap 14 in a move down the inside at Turn 2, but with Zhang having held him back, there was now over 11 seconds between Ma and the next car of He, and so had no chance to gain further ground.
Sun went on to win the race ahead of Ávila, with Wang taking his second podium in a row.
Ma’s championship lead has now been reduced to just eight points, with Ávila the only driver able to stop him at his home race in Macau in three week-time.

Race 3
1. Zhang Zhen Dong (MG XPower, MG 6), 24 laps
2. Wang Tao (AutoHome Racing, Lynk & Co 03), 2.436
3. Rodolfo Ávila MG XPower, MG 6), 5.026
4. Rainey He (MG XPower, MG 6), 10.464
5. Yang Xi (Teamwork Motorsport, Lynk & Co 03), 12.230

Race 4
1. Sun Chao (MG XPower, MG 6), 26 laps
2. Rodolfo Ávila MG XPower, MG 6), 1.706
3. Wang Tao (AutoHome Racing, Lynk & Co 03), 2.981
4. Rainey He (MG XPower, MG 6), 9.797
5. Ma Qing Hua (Teamwork Motorsport, Lynk & Co 03), 9.908

TCR China – Championship standings
1. Ma Qing Hua 139 pts; 2. Rodolfo Ávila 131; 3. Rainey He 89

TCR Asia North – Championship standings
1. Ma Qing Hua 189 pts; 2. Rodolfo Ávila 180; 3. Rainey He 118

Picture: TCR China