After a combative pair of races in the TCR International Series at Spa Francorchamps this weekend (5-6 May, 2017), WestCoast Racing were left with a solitary tenth position and single championship point for Giacomo Altoe, despite the best efforts of the team and its drivers.
“Sometimes it goes like this in racing,” said Team Principal Dick Jönsson Wigroth. “If you can’t win on track at least we can have a good time with our partners from Ejendals who came along to support us and promote their new TEGERA Infinity brand. We move on and go again as always!”
The biggest field of 24 cars in the International series to date lined up at the Belgian F1 track, including a number of series debutants from the TCR Benelux championship, making the event and the racing exciting for the large crowd that had gathered to watch the series support the World Endurance Championship. Among them were guests from TEGERA Infinity, who had come along to support their brand that proudly adorned the team pair of Golf GTI TCR cars.
The Benelux championship and a number of the competitors had raced at the Belgian venue just the week before and this, combined with local knowledge, put the Swedish outfit, who had won last years corresponding event, on the backfoot from the start of the weekend.
One positive from the weekend was the race performance of Altoe, who racing hard to recover from a few racing setbacks to grab the final point in race two from a mid-race low point of 16th position. The young Italian driver showed great battling spirit and a good degree of race-craft which bodes well for the rest of the International season.
“It was very tough,” said Altoe. “It was a crazy second race, I got boxed at the start- lost some places – got them back – and then made a small mistake and ended up back in 16th, so I suppose I am happy with tenth place. It’s my home race next week in Monza so I hope I can do better!”
There’s only a short pause before the TCR International Series is back on track at Monza, Italy next weekend for rounds seven and eight of the championship.