The newly-formed TCR European Endurance is getting underway soon, and the calendar has now been released. The series, which will welcome cars from different classes such as TCR, TCR DSG and TCR Gen I, is set to start in late April in Hungary, around the new Balaton Park Circuit, before going to Italy in the summer. In fact, teams and drivers will travel to Vallelunga in May for the second round of the championship, before going to Misano the following month. The final event of the season will be held in Brno, with the Czech track hosting the season finale in October.
Balaton Park Circuit is going to be the theatre of the championship’s historic debut race on April 28th: the maiden round of the season will in fact take place on the brand-new Hungarian race track, which has been opened less than a year ago. 85km southwest of Budapest, the 4.115km track features sixteen corners, many overtaking opportunities and is ready to become one of the most popular racing venues in Eastern Europe. The TCR European Endurance will join other important championships such as the Superbike World Championship and the TCR Eastern Europe as one of the main events in Balaton in 2024.
The series will then travel to Italy for the middle part of the championship, with round two scheduled to take place at the Autodromo Vallelunga on May 19th. The Roman racetrack, situated just 30 kilometers outside of the Italian capital, is a famous venue for TCR racing: in fact, FIA ETCR raced here in both 2021 and 2022, as well as hosting a round of the TCR World Tour – and the TCR Italian Festival – in 2023. The track named after famous Italian racer Piero Taruffi, which will also host the opening round of the 2024 TCR Europe season, features high-speed sections and more technical sectors, and drivers love it for its fast, flowing layout.
The third stop will be the Misano World Circuit – a 4.226km track situated in Emilia Romagna, Italy. Opened back in 1972, Misano has hosted various MotoGP events, and has now been the constant venue for the San Marino motorcycle Grand Prix since 2007; it has also been home to the GT World Challenge Europe since 2015, and the TCR European Endurance will be a perfect addition to an already stacked roster. Not only that, the round will take place on June 22nd, ensuring a fresh atmosphere with plenty of fans ready to cheer their favourite teams and drivers on.
Lastly, the TCR European Endurance will make its first and only stop of the season in the Czech Republic, doing so at the Masaryk circuit in Brno on October 13th. The Czech race track has been a notorious location for motor racing for quite some time now; many world-class series such as MotoGP, World SBK and FIA GT held numerous events there in the past 30 years. However, touring-car racing also has a good tradition at Brno: not only will the track host championships such as TCR Europe and TCR Eastern Europe Trophy, but it was also home to the World Touring Car Championship from 2006 to 2011. Full of elevation changes and challenging braking zones, Brno is a fan favourite amongst drivers and fans alike, which enhances its adaptability making it a perfect fit across multiple series.
