TCR Europe’s second race at Spa-Francorchamps turned into carnage, with no less than five incidents that are being investigated by the Stewards, plus a number of contacts and a couple of suspected jump-starts.
Eventually Julien Briché was the toughest guy on the track and scored a third consecutive Race 2 win that propelled him to the top of the standings. Jimmy Clairet finished second, claiming his first podium result in the series and completing a Peugeot 1-2. Mat’o Homola benefited from the battles that eliminated a few people in front of him to be classified third ahead of the charging Andreas Bäckman and Ashley Sutton.
Many top drivers paid for the fighting spirit that pervaded the whole field: Dániel Nagy, Stian Paulsen, Natan Bihel, Dušan Borković and Tom Coronel were all sent off by other drivers, though some of them had hit before being hit. Gilles Magnus, the winner of yesterday’s Race 1 who was leading the standings, retired on the penultimate lap after making contact with Santiago Urrutia.
Now, it’s all up to the Stewards…
The next event of TCR Europe will be at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, on July 12/14.

Key facts
Grid – Files’ Hyundai is at the back due to an engine change; Wadoux’s Peugeot has been withdrawn after the crash at the end of Race 1, but the French girl is at the track, her left arm in a sling and bruises here and there
Start – Kajaia stalls from second on the grid; Borković takes the lead from the pole ahead of J. Clairet, Homola, Briché, Comte and Potty
Lap 1 – Nagy cuts the chicane, clashes with Kangas and crashes; Sutton moves up into fifth overtaking Comte and Potty
Lap 2 – Coronel spins at the Source
Lap 3 – Comte and A. Bäckman overtake Potty for 6^th and 7^th; Briché elbows his way past Homola for third; Bihel crashes on the straight
Lap 4 – the safety car is deployed
Lap 6 – racing resumes, J. Clairet tries to overtake Borković, but goes wide at the Source and drops behind Briché; Briché overtakes Borković who is hit by J. Clairet at the braking before the chicane and crashes
Lap 7 – Sutton and Comte clash while fighting for fourth, A. Bäckman takes the opportunity and passes them both
Lap 8 – Coronel and Paulsen collide at the chicane and the latter spins off; Urrutia and Magnus make contact while fighting for eighth and the latter retires; Coronel is hit by L. Filippi and crashes
Lap 9 – Briché wins from J. Clairet, Homola, A. Bäckman, Sutton, Comte and Urrutia

Race 2
1. Julien Briché (JSB Compétition, Peugeot 308), 9 laps
2. Jimmy Clairet (Team Clairet Sport, Peugeot 308), 1.849
3. Mat’o Homola (Target Competition, Hyundai i30 N), 3.051
4. Andreas Bäckman (Target Competition, Hyundai i30 N), 3.349
5. Ashley Sutton (Team WRT, Volkswagen Golf GTI), 3.706

Championship points
1. Briché 147 pts; 2. Magnus 134; 3. Urrutia 123