Photo: TCR Media

Liqui Moly Team Engstler switches to four-car entry in Algarve

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The entry list for the Race of Portugal in Portimao has been confirmed, with several changes compared to last week’s event in Valencia.

The biggest change has occured at Liqui Moly Team Engstler, with the team principal Franz Engstler and Russian driver Mikhail Grachev handing their Audi TTs to two drivers strongly linked with the Volkswagen group.

Former Porsche Supercup champion Nicki Thiim will be at the wheel of one of the TTs, an international driver with several wins to his name and a participation in the Nürburgring 24 Hours at the wheel of a works Volkswagen Scirocco.

The Dane will be partnered by VW junior driver and 2014 ADAC GT Masters Champion Kelvin van der Linde. The South African teenager, who won the Scirocco R-Cup championship in 2013 and was among the Porsche Junior Programme finalists in the same year, will drive the second Audi TT for the team.

Mikhail Grachev will switch to a SEAT León Racer instead, alongside team-mate Lorenzo Veglia, as the team awaits the release of the new Volkswagen Golf for the TCR Series, while team principal Franz Engstler will not be on track this weekend.

The entry list features 17 cars in total, the same as last week in Valencia.

TCR International Series Valencia Entry List

No – Driver – Nat – Team -Car

3 – Nicki Thiim – DEN – Liqui Moly Team Engstler – Audi TT Coupé
7 – Lorenzo Veglia – ITA – Liqui Moly Team Engstler – SEAT León Cup Racer
8 – Mikhail Grachev – RUS – Liqui Moly Team Engstler – SEAT León Cup Racer
9 – Kelvin van der Linde – RSA – Liqui Moly Team Engstler – Audi TT Coupé
10 – Gianni Morbidelli – ITA – WestCoast Racing – Honda Civic TCR
17 – Michel Nykjaer – DEN – Target Competition – SEAT León Cup Racer
18 – José Monroy – POR – Veloso Motorsport – SEAT León Cup Racer
19 – Oscar Nogués – SPA – Campos Racing – Opel Astra OPC
20 – Igor Skuz – UKR – WestCoast Racing – Honda Civic TCR
22 – Armando Parente – POR – Campos Racing – Opel Astra OPC
24 – Kevin Gleason – USA – WestCoast Racing – Honda Civic TCR
25 – Stefano Comini – SUI – Target Competition – SEAT León Cup Racer
33 – Andrea Belicchi – ITA – Target Competition – SEAT León Cup Racer
50 – Francisco Mora – POR – Veloso Motorsport – SEAT León Cup Racer
74 – Pepe Oriola – SPN – Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil – SEAT León Cup Racer
77 – Sergey Afanasyev – RUS – Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil – SEAT León Cup Racer
88 – Jordi Gené – SPN – Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil – SEAT León Cup Racer