Following the announcement of the drivers lineup for TEXACO Team AMS in the DSG and “Gen I” categories, the Turkish team is also getting ready to challenge for the overall standings in the new TCR European Endurance with Turgut Konukoğlu and Eric Brigliadori.
Unlike the Pinar-Özen duo which represents the team’s home colors, the Istanbul-based team will field an Italian driver alongside the experienced Konukoğlu in a second-generation Audi RS3 LMS TCR. It’s the Forlì-based driver Eric Brigliadori, already experienced behind the wheel of the Ingolstadt car, who joins the colors of the team managed by Ibrahim Okyay.
The Turkish driver who was born in 1983, began his racing career in karting at the age of 17 and now with Team AMS led by Okyay, he restored success, by winning two consecutive national track championships (Tosfed) in 2021 and 2022. The 2000-born Italian driver initially pursued a career in single-seaters before moving fully to TCR competitions in 2018. He has achieved notable success, narrowly missing out on the TCR Italy title in 2020 by just three points. However, he faced misfortune in 2021 finishing fifth in the championship despite being in contention throughout the season, although he secured the Under 25 title in both instances. Brigliadori is ready to return to the helm of Audi’s flagship car, where he will have the veteran Konukoğlu by his side, after a brief stint in the DSG class and a period in TCR Italy 2023 driving the Hyundai Elantra N.
Nevertheless, the international stage allows Brigliadori to switch roles regarding experience, particularly when the TCR European Endurance drivers will face the mid-season rounds at Italian tracks Vallelunga and Misano (on May 19th and June 22nd, respectively). Especially the Misano one which is the home race of Brigliadori, named after Marco Simoncelli, that will be also a night race. In the end, the last round set at Slovakiaring on 25th of August in order to finish the season.
With all three complete lineups (Konukoğlu- Brigliadori on the RS3 LMS Gen II, Pinar-Özen on the RS3 LMS Gen I, and Kaçan-Okyay on the DSG), TEXACO Team AMS will debut in the TCR European Endurance on April 28th at the Balaton Park circuit, for a total of four rounds culminating in the Slovakiaring event on August 25th.
