LMS Racing’s Antti Buri took victory in the opening TCR Germany race of the weekend at Autodrom Most in Czechia, having got past pole-sitter Mike Halder after the first chicane on the opening lap.
At the start, Buri tried to pass Halder’s Honda heading into the first chicane but couldn’t find a way through, until the Finn got a better exit and drew his Audi alongside on the run to Turn 3.
That allowed the LMS Racing driver to execute the pass for the lead, which he wouldn’t lose for the rest of the race, despite having to contend with two safety car periods due to incidents on track.
The first incident came at the very start, when Marcel Fugel, Sebastian Steibel and Dominik Fugel made contact on the start straight, pitching Steibel off the circuit with broken rear suspension and Marcel Fugel off in the melee.
Dominik Fugel was also caught up, and later around the lap lost the front-right tyre on his Honda, necessitating a change in the pits.
Steibel, unaware of both broken suspension links on his Volkswagen, continued to the first turn before spinning off into the gravel.
When the safety car period ended at the end of lap four, the race would not run for more than three laps due to Liqui Moly Team Engstler’s Theo Coicaud stopping on the kerbs on the exit of Turn 5.
A lengthy safety car intervention was then required to retrieve the car, which was apparently stuck in gear and unable to be dragged off circuit.
Buri got off to another strong start at the end of the second safety car period and claimed his first win of the season ahead of Halder.
HP Racing’s Harald Proczyk completed the podium in third, unable to take the battle to the leading duo in his Opel.
Simon Reicher was fourth, having lost out to Proczyk at the start, ahead of local racer Petr Fulín in fifth and Luca Engstler in sixth.
The second race of the weekend takes place at 11:45 CEST (10:45 BST) on Sunday.
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 30 | Antti BURI |  |
LMS Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 16 | 16 LAPS | 1:41.977 | 2 |
| 2 | 7 | Mike HALDER |  |
Team Honda ADAC Sachsen | Honda Civic TCR 2018 | 16 | 0.397 | 1:42.149 | 1 |
| 3 | 22 | Harald PROCZYK |  |
HP Racing International | Opel Astra TCR | 16 | 5.315 | 1:42.746 | 5 |
| 4 | 54 | Simon REICHER | |
YACO Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 16 | 7.107 | 1:42.492 | 4 |
| 5 | 2 | Petr FULÍN |  |
Fullin Race Academy | CUPRA TCR | 16 | 9.002 | 1:42.576 | 7 |
| 6 | 8 | Luca ENGSTLER | |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 16 | 9.395 | 1:42.814 | 6 |
| 7 | 19 | Max HESSE | |
Prosport Performance | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 16 | 10.03 | 1:42.911 | 3 |
| 8 | 6 | Oliver HOLDENER |  |
Wolf-Power Racing | CUPRA TCR | 16 | 10.459 | 1:42.875 | 9 |
| 9 | 60 | Loris PRATTES | |
TOPCAR Sport | CUPRA TCR | 16 | 12.338 | 1:43.144 | 11 |
| 10 | 47 | Niko KANKKUNEN | |
Team Engstler Europe | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 16 | 16.252 | 1:43.437 | 15 |
| 11 | 14 | Niels LANGEVELD |  |
Racing One | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 16 | 16.384 | 1:42.794 | 27 |
| 12 | 77 | Justin HÄUßERMANN | |
Team Engstler Germany | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 16 | 17.148 | 1:43.247 | 20 |
| 13 | 29 | Jussi KUUSINIEMI | |
Positione Motorsport | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 16 | 17.168 | 1:43.466 | 12 |
| 14 | 44 | Sandro KAIBACH | |
Prosport Performance | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 16 | 17.348 | 1:43.422 | 16 |
| 15 | 10 | Benjamin LEUCHTER | |
Max Kruse Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 16 | 20.049 | 1:43.943 | 22 |
| 16 | 39 | Florian THOMA | |
Team Engstler Europe | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 16 | 20.97 | 1:44.295 | 17 |
| 17 | 11 | Luke WANKMÜLLER | |
HP Racing International | Opel Astra TCR | 16 | 21.224 | 1:43.272 | 18 |
| 18 | 53 | Michelle HALDER | |
Profi-Car Team Halder | CUPRA TCR | 16 | 22.012 | 1:43.559 | 8 |
| 19 | 55 | Marcel FUGEL | |
Profi-Car Team Halder | Honda Civic TCR 2018 | 16 | 23.493 | 1:44.050 | 23 |
| 20 | 3 | Kai JORDAN | |
Team Engstler Germany | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 16 | 25.299 | 1:44.538 | 19 |
| 21 | 42 | Lukas NIEDERTSCHEIDER | |
Niedertscheider Motorsport | Peugeot 308 TCR | 16 | 25.489 | 1:44.655 | 14 |
| 22 | 17 | Jasmin PREISIG | |
Steibel Motorsport | Opel Astra TCR | 16 | 25.617 | 1:44.059 | 26 |
| 23 | 33 | JC REYNOLDS | |
TOPCAR Sport | CUPRA TCR | 16 | 28.939 | 1:44.563 | 24 |
| 24 | 99 | Maurits SANDBERG | |
Racing One | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 16 | 30.05 | 1:44.985 | 25 |
| R | 88 | Dominik FUGEL | |
Team Honda ADAC Sachsen | Honda Civic TCR 2018 | 6 | DNF | 1:46.111 | 13 |
| R | 27 | Theo COICAUD |  |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 6 | DNF | 1:44.121 | 10 |
| R | 23 | Sebastian STEIBEL | |
Steibel Motorsport | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 0 | DNF | N/A | 21 |