TCR: Swiss Trophy 2019 at the Germans
OWN EVALUATION Next year, the TCR Swiss Trophy will be held as part of the TCR Germany. All registered holders of an ASS license and Swiss drivers with a foreign license are eligible to score points. In the past season, Auto Sport Schweiz announced an ASS TCR Swiss Trophy for the first time. This included selected rounds of the Italian, German and Benelux TCR series. The [...]
In the past season, Auto Sport Schweiz organized an ASS TCR Swiss Trophy for the first time. This included selected rounds of the Italian, German and Benelux TCR series. There was zero interest from Swiss drivers and teams. The overall victory went to the Hungarian Attilo Tassi.
After all, it was worth a try, and ASS has drawn logical consequences. In 2019, the TCR Swiss Trophy will be held as part of the ADAC TCR Germany. The negotiations with the second largest automobile club in the world and Franz Engstler, the promoter and at the same time multi-team owner, were "very focused" and could be successfully concluded within a very short time, ASS informs.
Seven events with own Swiss podium
Thus, all seven ADAC TCR events in 2019 with two half-hour races each on Saturday and Sunday (14 runs) also count towards the TCR Swiss Trophy. All holders of an ASS license and Swiss citizens with a foreign license are eligible for points. These are automatically qualified for participation in the TCR Swiss Trophy after regular registration via ADAC TCR Germany and no additional entry or registration is required.
At each race, the three best-placed Swiss drivers receive their own podium. At the end of the year, an overall ranking is drawn up and the TCR Swiss Trophy is awarded to the best three drivers. At the season finale at the Sachsenring, this will be integrated into the celebrations of the other ADAC GT Masters support series.
The integration makes sense
AutoSprintCH welcomes this decision. Swiss touring car drivers will once again have the opportunity to compete for a national championship title on the circuit in a professional environment with media coverage. AutoSprintCH will therefore provide up-to-date online coverage of all races.
The integration also makes sense when you look at the last two seasons. In 2017, eight Swiss drivers scored points in the ADAC TCR Germany. Pascal Eberle would have won the internal classification with his Seat Cupra as overall eighth just ahead of Kris Richard on Honda Civic and Florian Thomas on VW Golf.
Only four drivers from Switzerland were entered in the past year. In addition, there were the three Young Drivers at one race each, of whom Francesco Ruga and Julien Apothéloz would have scored straight away at Hockenheim (top 20), the latter even in the top ten at the Hockenheim finale.
The champion would be Florian Thoma on VW Golf
Eberle had taken time out and made a brilliant return to the series with a podium finish at the Sachsenring. Unfortunately, his short season ended with a rollover at Hockenheim through no fault of his own.
Overall victory in the TCR Swiss Trophy would have gone to Volkswagen Switzerland ambassador Florian Thoma, just ahead of Oliver Holdener on Cupra, the overall winner of the 2018 Young Driver Challenge. Jasmin Preisig (Opel Astra) and Joshua C. Reynolds (Cupra) would also have claimed one or two top three places.
