Kris Richard: Chasing the title with Hyundai
CHANGING TO THE TCR EUROPE Kris Richard remains with Target Competition, but changes championship and brand in 2018. In the successful team from South Tyrol, the 2016 ETCC champion will contest the new TCR European series in a Hyundai i30 N TCR. In 2016, Kris Richard won the [...] in his first touring car year on a Honda Civic TCR from Rikli Motorsport.
In 2016, Kris Richard won the FIA European Touring Car Cup title in his first touring car year in a Honda Civic TCR from Rikli Motorsport. Things didn't go so well for Target Competition in the ADAC TCR Germany in 2017 for various reasons.
TCR Europe as a precursor to the WTCR
This motivates the team and the driver to do better in 2018, because they can do better. The new field will be TCR Europe, which the organizers of the globally booming category created as a sort of precursor to the intercontinental WTCR - the replacement for the World Touring Car Championship (FIA WTCC).
The 23-year-old from Berne would also like to return there. Last fall, Kris completed two promising first WTCC races in Japan and Qatar and even scored championship points. This whets the appetite for more.
Kris Richard: "I would love to race in the WTCR in 2018, but this was not yet financially feasible. So I'm all the more pleased about the great offer from Target Competition to compete with them in the new TCR Europe. This is where younger drivers like me tend to compete, but we'll probably be at a similarly high level to the old hands in WTCR."
Convincing Hyundai test drive at Monza
After two years with Honda, Richard is now competing with the Hyundai brand for the first time. In the first test events in 2017, Hyundai immediately proved the competitiveness of the new i30 N TCR. This prompted the 2016 and 2017 ADAC Germany champion team to change scene and brand.
Kris Richard: "I was already able to test the Hyundai in Monza. I'm now convinced that we have a fast, competitive car with which we'll be fighting for the title. As I'm the only one of the three Target drivers who already knows the team, I'm naturally hoping for a slight advantage at the start of the season. We're definitely in a top position."
Richard's long-term goal is clear: he wants to turn professional in touring car racing. This year, he wants to make a guest appearance in the WTCR with Target and use his results in the TCR Europe to recommend himself for a regular place next year.
First season start on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife
The European TCR Series season starts on the weekend of May 5/6 in Le Castellet. Before that, Richard will compete in the VLN at the Nürburgring on April 6, albeit in a production-based car with less horsepower.
Kris Richard: "I still need three race laps on the Nordschleife to get the "Permit A Nordschleife". Of course, my dream would be to start with Hyundai in the big 24-hour race in May. In addition, I would like to be able to gain some experience in a GT3 car this year. We'll see what comes up."
Those who would like to follow Kris Richard's activities can continue to do so on autosprint.ch as well as on his accounts on Instagram (@krisrichard94) and Facebook.
