Top Run Motorsport’s programme with the Subaru STi car received a further boost by Team Manager Renato Russo’s recent visit to Japan.
The Italian team have been building and preparing the new STi car for the past year, and are expected to field the final specification of the car in the Italian event of the TCR International Series in May.
“We were invited by Makoto Shimamura, Managing Director of all Subaru motorsports activities and I met him and Yosuke Takahashi who is in charge to follow the TCR programme,” explained Russo. “Shimamura-san congratulated us for the far-sightedness in committing with the Subaru brand to the TCR International Series that is already creating a growing interest in Japan with teams and fans.
“As a matter of fact, this meeting was prompted following different enquiries about TCR that Subaru STi received from the Japanese media.”
Top Run will enlist Italian driver Luca Rangoni to race the car in this weekend’s second round of the season in Portugal.
Rangoni previously raced the car on its début in TCR in Singapore in 2015, before handing over to Swiss star Alain Menu for the final two rounds of the season. Former Italian Superstars racer Luigi Ferrara then raced the car in the 2016 season opener in Bahrain.
Top Run are working in conjunction with Subaru’s STi department to finalise the specification of the car in the coming month.