Triple TCR Champion Josh Files has announced that he will return to TCR Competition this year, taking part in the 2019 TCR Europe Touring Car Series at the wheel of a Target Competition Hyundai i30 N TCR.
Files, who took a sole victory at Zandvoort last season in the series driving for KCMG in the Honda Civic Type R, will reunite with the team that he scored both of his ADAC TCR Germany drivers titles with, securing back to back titles in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
This also marks a departure for the British driver, having previously raced and won his titles at the helm of the Honda Civic Type R built by JAS Motorsport.
Files scored both of his ADAC TCR Germany titles with Target back in 2016 and 2017. Credit: WSC Ltd / TCR Europe
Former double TCR Germany champion Files expressed his delight at returning to TCR Europe.
“I am super excited! This year will be the hardest ever; that I am sure of given the level of drivers entering into the series. I have the ultimate confidence in Target Competition to provide me with a race winning car, so now it’s down to me to get the job done,” explained Files.
“Of course I am happy to be returning back to them, this is the team that I won my two German championships with after all, so it’s like returning home in some respects. However, I must shout out to JAS motorsport as I have enjoyed 3 successful years driving the Honda, which has ultimately lead to this opportunity.”
Target Competition will run five Hyundai’s in TCR Europe this year. Credit: WSC Ltd / TCR Europe
With this announcement, Target Competition have marked themselves as favourites for both the Drivers Title and the Teams Title where Files will join the already announced lineup of Mat’o Homola, Dusan Borković, Andreas Bäckman and Jessica Bäckman.
The first round of the 2019 TCR Europe Touring Car Series gets underway in Hungary on April 27-28, running on the same weekend as the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) and the TCR Eastern Europe Trophy powered by ESET.
