!NEW! All Systems Go for Opel Astra TCR’s Second Season

• Intensive further development of Opel’s customer racing touring car for 2017
• Technical partner Kissling Motorsport also takes over customer support 

Next step: Pierre-Yves Corthals, winner of last season’s TCR Trophy Europe, and Belgian team DG Sport Compétition are working on using two Opel touring cars in the TCR International Series.

Before the start of the 2017 international circuit racing season, the Opel Astra TCR is currently undergoing the last phase of technical development. Based on lessons learned from the 2016 debut season, a number of details were optimized on Opel’s 350 hp customer racing touring car during the winter in preparation for the 2017 homologation this March. After this takes place, the Opel Astra TCR can be used in all TCR series around the world. The TCR spectrum encompasses the global TCR International Series as well as a total of eleven national and regional championships, which include the ADAC TCR Germany. In addition, a number of endurance races such as the Nürburgring 24-hours, Barcelona and Dubai feature a class for TCR vehicles as does the most popular privateer sport series in the world, the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring on the legendary Nordschleife.

Enhanced Astra TCR: Opel’s 350 hp customer racing touring car has been further optimized over the winter.

The vehicle homologation will be preceded by the “Balance of Performance” (BoP) test on March 1-2 at the Adria International Raceway near Venice. During this test, the performance of all participating brands’ TCR vehicles is tested by a professional driver engaged by the TCR organization and the cars are then given a base classification. This ensures the competitiveness of all participating vehicles. If necessary, BoP adjustments will be made during the season to assure well-balanced starting fields and exciting touring car racing with large brand diversity.

Opel Astra TCR with driver Pierre-Yves Corthals

In addition to private use in various national championships, the Opel Astra TCR is also to perform on the international stage again this year. The Belgian team DG Sport Compétition – with driver Pierre-Yves Corthals and the Astra TCR the first title holder in the TCR Trophy Europe last season – is working on using two Opel touring cars for the TCR International Series. The season start is on April 2 at Rustavi International Motopark in Georgia.

2016 Opel Astra TCR on Nürburgring

To offer customers support that is as comprehensive as possible, Opel is intensifying cooperation with its longtime technical and development partner Kissling Motorsport. In future, in addition to developing and building the Astra TCR customer vehicles, the touring car specialists from Bad Münstereifel near the Nürburgring will also be responsible for all customer support. “We thus bundle all building blocks necessary for our customer racing program under one roof. This ensures streamlined processes, direct communication channels and efficient service for Astra TCR customers,” says Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott.