2019 was the thirtieth consecutive year for the World Challenge series. All Touring Car classes would now compete in the TC America championship.

As in the previous year, there were three Touring groups:

  • Touring Car (TC) – This class is for smaller sedans and sports cars which are allowed some performance modifications. These front or rear-wheel-drive vehicles may be powered by turbocharged or normally aspirated engines. Examples of cars competing in this category include: Honda Civic Type R, Nissan 370Z, BMW M235iR, BMW M240iR and Genesis Coupe.
  • Touring Car A (TCA) – Some of the cars competing in this class are the same as those found in Touring Car. What sets them apart is the minimum amount of modifications that can be made – most changes are to improve the safety of the vehicles. Using turbocharged or normally aspirated power plants, these cars produce between 160 and 185-horsepower.
  • Touring Car Race (TCR) – This is an international class which was first introduced in 2014 to address the expense of competing in the World Touring Car Championship. These production-based cars are powered by 2.0-liter turbocharged engines which produce approximately 300-horsepower. Examples of vehicles competing in this category include: Audi RS 3 LMS, Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, Honda Civic Type-R TCR, Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR and Hyundai Veloster N TCR. This category has been split into two groups – TCR and TCR Cup. The Cup division was added for gentleman and amateur drivers and cars equipped with a DSG transmission. TCR is for FIA rated Gold, Silver and Bronze drivers.

The TCR and TCA title chases kick off in March at Circuit of the Americas followed a week later by an event at St. Petersburg, Florida. The teams will not participate until late April at Virginia International Raceway. This will be followed by the west coast swing when race weekends will take place at Sonoma Raceway and Portland International Raceway. On the Labour Day weekend, drivers will compete at Watkins Glen International. The penultimate round will be held mid-September at Road America and the finale will take place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October.

TC competitors also begin their season at Circuit of the Americas but do not compete again until late April at Virginia International Raceway. The remainder of the schedule is the same as the TCR and TCA classes. Teams will travel to California and Oregon for races at Sonoma Raceway and Portland International Raceway. Then it is back to the east coast for a weekend at Watkins Glen International. The penultimate events will be at Road America with the championships concluding at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The opening rounds for the 2019 TC America championship for Touring Cars took place at the Circuit of the Americas’ twenty-turn 3.4-mile road course. Seventeen drivers were entered in two forty-minute races.

The start of race two for the Touring Cars and seventeen competitors head for Circuit of the Americas very quick turn two. Leading the field is the No. 26 BMW M240iR of the third-place starter, Toby Grahovec. Trailing, Grahovec is Jeff Ricca in the Hyundai Genesis Coupe who was gridded on the outside of the front row. These two are followed by Saturday’s winner, Johan Schwartz and the pole-sitter, Paul Terry.
Jeff Ricca debuted the No. 78 Hyundai Genesis Coupe last season at Virginia International Raceway. In the practice sessions, Ricca ‘gave notice’ by recording the third and second quickest times. During qualifying, he captured the pole by just 0.058-seconds. During race one, Ricca battled with Johan Schwartz and Toby Grahovec and finished third. In round two, it was the same three combatants except this time, he grabbed his first series win.
Johan Schwartz topped the timesheets in both practice sessions. However, in qualifying, the driver of the Rooster Hall Racing BMW M235iR was second fastest. In Saturday’s contest, it didn’t take long for Schwartz to move into first place and take his first victory of the season. The following day, he spun on the opening lap but charged through the field an caught the leaders before finishing third.
Lead driver for the Classic BMW team, Toby Grahovec was racing one of the new M240iRs which featured some aerodynamic upgrades. Grahovec did not crack the top five until the second practice session and was third quickest in qualifying. He ran with the leaders, Johan Schwartz and Jeff Ricca in round one and beat Ricca to the finish line for the runner-up spot. In race two, he led before finishing second.
The driver of the No. 33 Nissan 370Z was Paul Terry. Terry was gridded tenth for the start of the season’s first race. Unfortunately, he spun early in the contest. In an effort to catch the leaders, Terry set the race’s fastest lap and started on the pole for Sunday’s event. In a repeat performance, he spun on the first lap of the race but drove through the field and finished on the tail of the top three in fourth place.
Joseph Federl drove the TechSport Racing prepared Nissan 370Z and qualified sixth fastest for the season opener. Before the conclusion of the weekend’s first event, Federl was able to pass Steve Steimer and Zane Hodgen to finish a distant fourth. On Sunday, he was gridded fourth and ran in that position before being passed by a hard-charging Paul Terry. At the checkered flag, Federl was in fifth place.
Local racer, Zane Hodgen was starting his first Touring Car event. Driving the Lone Star Racing BMW M235iR, Hodgen qualified a very respectable fifth. During Saturday’s event, he was passed by the Nissan of Joseph Federl and Robert Nimkoff in a BMW – finishing in seventh place. In round two, Hodgen was gridded eleventh for the start but moved his way through the field and was in sixth place at the checker.
The round one Touring Car podium at the Circuit of the Americas. On the left is the runner-up from Classic BMW, Toby Grahovec. The final position on the rostrum is occupied by GenRacer’s, Jeff Ricca. Between these two is the winner, Johan Schwartz who drove the Rooster Hall Racing BMW M235iR.

FINISHSTARTCLASSDRIVERTEAM / CARLAPS
12TCJohan SchwartzRooster Hall Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
23TCToby GrahovecClassic BMW / BMW M240iR Cup16
31TCJeff RiccaGenRacer / Hyundai Genesis Coupe16
46TCJoseph FederlTechSport Racing / Nissan 370Z16
58TCRobert NimkoffAutoTechnic Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
65TCZane HodgenLone Star Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
710TCPaul TerryRearden Racing / Nissan 370Z16
87TCCameron EvansBimmerWorld Racing / BMW M240iR Cup16
912TCMoisey UretskyMurillo Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
1011TCTom CapizziAutoTechnic Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
1113TCPeter AtwaterNULITE / BMW M235iR Cup16
1215TCChandler HullBimmerWorld Racing / BMW M240iR Cup16
139TCRichard ZulmanRooster Hall Racing / BMW M240iR Cup16
144TCSteve StreimerRooster Hall Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
1516TCGreg NitzkowskiDynamic Racing Solutions / BMW M235iR Cup16
1614TCJohn AllenAutoTechnic Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
NC17TCBruce WexlerDynamic Racing Solutions / BMW M235iR Cup11

FINISHSTARTCLASSDRIVERTEAM / CARLAPS
12TCJeff RiccaGenRacer / Hyundai Genesis Coupe16
23TCToby GrahovecClassic BMW / BMW M240iR Cup16
34TCJohan SchwartzRooster Hall Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
41TCPaul TerryRearden Racing / Nissan 370Z16
55TCJoseph FederlTechSport Racing / Nissan 370Z16
611TCZane HodgenLone Star Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
79TCSteve StreimerRooster Hall Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
88TCRobert NimkoffAutoTechnic Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
912TCMoisey UretskyMurillo Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
1013TCRichard ZulmanRooster Hall Racing / BMW M240iR Cup16
117TCCameron EvansBimmerWorld Racing / BMW M240iR Cup16
1214TCTom CapizziAutoTechnic Racing / BMW M235iR Cup16
136TCPeter AtwaterNULITE / BMW M235iR Cup16
1410TCChandler HullBimmerWorld Racing / BMW M240iR Cup16
1515TCGreg NitzkowskiDynamic Racing Solutions / BMW M235iR Cup16
1617TCBruce WexlerDynamic Racing Solutions / BMW M235iR Cup15
1716TCJohn AllenAutoTechnic Racing / BMW M235iR Cup15

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