Unlucky Nash loses TCR glory

James Nash lost out on the TCR International Series title at the final hurdle in Macau last weekend after getting taken out of the first race in a clash with Mato Homola.

Nash was running in fourth place in a chaotic race, which was resuming after a red-flag period, when the Slovak B3 Racing SEAT driver tried to pass Nash’s Craft Bamboo SEAT into Lisboa. The incident damaged Nash’s suspension, and he was unable to finish the race, while Homola crashed into the barriers, triggering a pile-up and blocking the track.

Stefano Comini, the 2015 champion, won the first race in his Leopard Racing Volkswagen, with the half-points awarded putting him just 0.5 adrift of Nash going into the finale, but with the advantage of starting on pole while Nash was buried in the pack.

Comini drove a cautious race, falling to fourth, while Nash fought through to eighth, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Comini becoming the TCR king for the second season. “It was a good season but not good enough,” said Nash. “It was a difficult and disappointing weekend, but that’s how things go sometimes. I don’t understand where Homola wanted to pass, there was no space, it was silly…”

A fantastic start from third on the grid gave Tiago Monteiro, guesting in the TCR with the Westcoast Racing team, a race lead he would not lose. Monteiro fended off a six-car lead pack to take the victory – and the Guia crown – from Comini’s team-mate Jean-karl Vernay and Craft Bamboo SEAT driver Pepe Oriola. Josh Files finished sixth in his Target Honda.