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In a season yet to witness a double winner, the second round of the TCR Eastern Europe series saw two more new faces atop the podium: Milan Vuković in his Renault Mégane and René Kircher driving a Honda Civic.
The drama was palpable in the second round of the TCR Eastern Europe championship at Hungaroring. The first race saw Maťo Homola, Carlo Czepiel, and Adam Kout from Hyundai Janík Motorsport secure the top three starting positions in their Hyundai Elantra cars. However, chaos ensued in the first turn, resulting in a surprising shift in race leaders. René Kircher from Mertel Motorsport took the lead, with Milan Vukovic hot on his tail. The Swiss driving a Renault managed to overtake Kircher and claim victory. Considering Vukovic’s last year´s starts in the Twingo Cup and this being only his second event in TCR Eastern Europe, his performance was nothing short of impressive.
Vuković Motorsport’s return was initially expected at Oschersleben, but after a delay in homologation, father and son duo Milenko and Milan Vuković entered the second round instead. Milenko showcased his drifting skills in the first race and “gaming skills” in the second. Defending his fourth position against Maťo Homola, Milenko drove his Renault sideways through several corners, reminiscent of a professional drift show. However, he was disqualified for car infringement and started at the back of the grid in Race 2. Undaunted, Milenko charged through the field, passing every competitor like in some kind of video-game on his way to a fifth-place finish.
Meanwhile, the second race centered around René Kircher and the unfortunate Davit Kajaia and Adam Kout. Kajaia and Kout battled for the lead with Sebastian Steibel during the opening lap, culminating in a chicane in the second sector. Kout’s chicane cutting caught the stewards‘ attention, and he was subsequently handed a 10-second penalty. With Kajaia receiving a 2-second penalty for track limits, Kircher was set to win if he maintained his position behind his teammate. Knowing about the penalties, Kircher paced himself and claimed victory, despite crossing the finish line in third place.
The TCR Eastern Europe championship at Hungaroring was packed with drama and excitement. With four races down, we have four winners: Homola, Czepiel, Vuković, and Kircher. Who will emerge victorious next? Will we see another new face or a familiar one atop the podium? In just three weeks, the answer awaits at Red Bull Ring.
