Rio Shimono made history in TCR Japan as she led home a one-two-three finish for Honda Civic Type R TCR drivers last weekend while the JAS Motorsport-built car also secured two major titles in Italy.
TCR Japan
Shimono completed a flawless lights-to-flag victory in Race Two as the Drago Corse driver – who had qualfied on the front row as best of the bronze-class drivers – became the first female to win a series event outright.
She was followed home by fellow Civic Type R TCR drivers Resshu Shioya, of Zenyaku Kogyo by Team G/Motion, and Takuya Shirasaka, of Jyakkou DreamDrive with KCMG. She now has a commanding lead in the Saturday Series’ bronze standings with one race left.
Shimono’s victory was in addition to a class win in the opener – a replacement for the Sugo Sunday race at the start of the season that was cancelled due to bad weather. Shioya was second in bronze while Shirasaka was disqualified for a ride-height infringement.
Shirasaka was the best-placed Civic driver in Race Three in fourth overall while Shimono – who started last as a result of a track-limits penalty in qualifying – retired after contact at the chicane with Shioya while carving through the field. Shioya was second in bronze.
Coppa Italia Turismo
Kevin Giacon snatched the title at the Vallelunga season finale with a pair of solid points finishes to edge out his MM Motorsport team-mates Davide Nardilli and Alessio Aiello.
Giacon, who held a one-point championship lead coming into the weekend, qualified on pole position to put himself in the best possible position to seal the title, and then strengthened his situation by finishing second in Race One.
Despite a penalty in the season finale that dropped him out of the scoring positions, he still did enough to be crowned overall champion by four points from Nardilli.
For Nardilli, there was consolation that third place on Saturday, followed by fifth in the finale, was enough to secure him the TCR sequential championship – level on points with Giacon but ahead on countback due to more second-place finishes during the season.
Civic Type R TCRs have now won five major titles worldwide this year and 36 in total since the car’s debut.
Aiello, who had won twice earlier in the year, qualified ninth and scored a best finish of sixth to seal third in the points and complete an all-MM Motorsport top three in both the overall and TCR sequential standings.
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