It has been a season to remember so far for Seda Kaçan in TCR European Endurance. In what is her first full-time campaign in an international championship on the TCR scene, the 31-year-old managed to back her success in the DSG category in Balaton with yet another class victory, this time around the Autodromo di Vallelunga. Together with her teammate and compatriot Ibrahim Okyay, the Turk is now leading the DSG standings with 94 points – 54 more than the pairs of Barkovics/Takacs and Paolino/Rodio, who are tied for second position. Not only that, she is also the one to beat in the Ladies Trophy thanks to her double victory across the first two rounds of the season.
The Turk began her motorsport career in the 2022 Turkish Racetrack Championship, gaining a lot of experience before challenging for the title the following season – eventually settling for second place. Her International debut in TCR Italy’s final round of the 2023 season was a testament to her talent, as she stepped on the DSG class podium in both races she entered. Thanks to these promising results, TEXACO Team AMS decided to give Kaçan the chance to partake in the first ever TCR European Endurance season, racing in the series promoted by Mauricio Slaviero together with Okyay on an Audi RS3 DSG – the same car she drove in 2023.
The Turkish duo had already made history in Balaton, putting a DSG car on the front row of the grid and briefly leading stage 1 after a brilliant strategy call by the team. After a season-best second place in the overall standings in Balaton, Kaçan and her teammate fought hard in Vallelunga for a spot on the overall podium once more, ultimately missing out after a penalty for a pit stop infringement and coming home in fourth. However, that result was still good enough to crucially clinch the win in the DSG class, making Kaçan/Okyay the ones to beat as the second half of the season rolls around. With two rounds already in the books, TCR European Endurance will be back out on track in Misano in less than a month, with round three scheduled to take place on June 22nd.
