New Civic TCR set for Dubai 24 Hours debut

The new Honda Civic Type-R TCR will make appear on track in competition for the first time this weekend when the car makes its debut at the Dubai 24 Hours.

RKC/TGM Motorsport, who were the first team to receive their car, will be given the honour of racing the car for the first time as one of 16 entries in the TCR category of the race – which will also include the current TCR International Series champion Jean-Karl Vernay in a Team Engstler-run VW Golf.

RKC/TGM Team Principal Ricky Coomber, Tom Gannon, David Drinkwater, Umair Khan and former BTCC racer James Kaye will share driving duties in the new Civic, which will replace one of the most successful TCR cars to have appeared on track thus far.

In total, 25 examples of the car are being built by JAS Motorsport for use in a range of different series during the year ahead.

“After the extraordinary success of the previous Honda Civic Type R TCR in 2017, it’s incredibly exciting to be at the dawn of a new era,” Mads Fischer, JAS Motorsport TCR Project Leader, said. “The new Civic has undergone 2800km testing since the middle of October and we’re confident that it will be an extremely effective racing car.

“The recent announcement of the FIA World Touring Car Cup, for which TCR cars will be the only eligible cars, is extremely exciting news and we hope to see several examples racing there, as well as in domestic TCR series and endurance championships such as the 24H Series.

“We know RKC/TGM Motorsport will do a strong job, but Dubai is the car’s debut so we go into the race without pressure and just aiming to do as well as possible.”