Stage1 of the second round of the TCR European Endurance at the Slovakiaring came to a close with Jamaican driver Senna Summerbell (Cupra TCR DSG) of Wimmer Werk Motorsport taking first place. Supported from the pit wall by teammate Christopher Issa, Summerbell delivered a consistent performance during Stage 1, enabling him to secure the lead in the first stage of the second round of the series promoted by Mauricio Slaviero. Moreover, it’s the first time a DSG car sets the pace in the TCR European Endurance history.
Starting from pole position was young Italian driver Yuri Brigliadori of BF Motorsport, who secured the top spot in qualifying and entered the race as the championship leader. Despite a strong start from Senna Summerbell, who lined up second on the grid, the Audi RS3 LMS TCR of the Italian team managed to retain the lead and withstand pressure also from Eric Scalvini and Wimmer Werk Motorsport, who made a sharp move from fourth to second in the opening corners. Summerbell, while showing promising pace early on, initially lost a few positions and found himself needing to rebuild his race from fifth place. There, he battled with Emilio Damante (Audi RS3 DSG) of Tuder Motorsport. Once past the Italian team’s car, the Jamaican driver began a determined charge, climbing up to the rear of Sinan Çiftçi, who was holding third in his Gen-1 Audi of TEXACO Team AMS.
As the pit lane opened for driver changes, it was the Turkish team that made the first move, with Ibrahim Okyay taking over driving duties. Moments later, a technical issue struck Emilio Damante’s car, which had just been involved in a tight battle with Onat Telkenar (TEXACO Team AMS) in the DSG class, prompting the deployment of the Safety Car on the Slovakian circuit. Despite the neutralization, pit stops continued. Scalvini handed over his Cupra Leon Competición to Salvatore Tavano, while race leader Brigliadori passed the car to Giuseppe Cartia. At the same time, Berk Kalpaklioglu prepared to step in for Telkenar. With the Safety Car still on track, racing action was paused until the final ten minutes, when the green flag was waved again for a decisive sprint to the finish.
At the restart, Salvatore Tavano managed to overtake Giuseppe Cartia, momentarily seizing the lead of the race. However, just one lap later, BF Motorsport reclaimed the top spot, regaining control of the race. Misfortune struck Wimmer Werk Motorsport as their Cupra Leon Competición was forced to pit due to a technical issue, marking a second consecutive stop for Salvatore Tavano after the Mugello round. Although Cartia was first to cross the finish line in his Audi RS3 LMS TCR, he was handed a 15-second time penalty for a Safety Car infringement. As a result, Senna Summerbell claimed Stage 1’s lead, also securing the top spot in the DSG class, despite having to spend 5 more seconds in the pit lane, as the Jamaican races on his own.
Senna Summerbell claimed Stage 1 victory with a margin of 4.967 seconds, earning the first spot on the grid for Stage 2. Finishing second were Yuri Brigliadori and Giuseppe Cartia (Audi RS3 LMS), followed 2.220 seconds behind by Alcidi and Giovannoni (VW Golf DSG). Fourth overall went to Çiftçi and Okyay (Audi RS3 LMS), who also took the lead in the Gen-1 class. Telkenar and Kalpaklıoğlu (Audi RS3 DSG) secured fifth place, ahead of Scalvini and Tavano, who brought their Cupra Leon Competición home in sixth after technical setbacks. A DNF was recorded for Maccari and Damante (Audi RS3 DSG), who encountered difficulties throughout the race at the Slovakiaring.
Stage-2 is set to take place on Sunday, June 8th at 11:45. It will be broadcast live on TCR TV’s official YouTube channel, with Daniele Spadi providing commentary. As per previous rounds, the race will be broadcast in Germany by Motorsport Television Deutschland, and in Italy on GO TV, channel 809 on Sky Italy, with commentary provided by Simone Casciaro and Alice Cecchi, with the latter also covering the pit reporter role in Mugello.
