The TCR South America series has confirmed the venues for its Argentine rounds, with the season kicking off at the Autódromo Oscar Cabalén in Córdoba on 25 – 26 March.
Whilst the dates had already been announced, the circuits to be used for the Argentine rounds had yet to be announced.
Following the news that the TCR World Tour will visit for the sixth and seventh events at El Pinar in Uruguay and San Luis in Argentina, the promoter has now also confirmed the venues for the opening three rounds, which had yet to be revealed.
The season kicks off in Córdoba in March, before moving on to Rosario (Autódromo Municipal Juan Manual Fangio) on the 15 – 16 April.
The third round will be an endurance event, with the Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo once again chosen as one of the venues for the two-driver races.
After that, the series moves to Brazil in conjunction with TCR Brazil, with another endurance event in Interlagos (Autódromo José Carlos Pace) on 10 – 11 June.
Following the two Uruguayan events at Rivera and El Pinar in July and August, the latter with the TCR World Tour, the series returns to Argentina for one event in San Luis along with the TCR World Tour, before concluding in Brazil for three sprint races which had already been announced.
Federico Punteri, President of TCR South America, was pleased to be able to complete a deal which will see the TCR World Tour as the only international car racing series to visit Argentina in 2023.
“We are very happy to announce with WSC Group, the two TCR World Tour events in our region,” added Punteri. “We are proud to bring the best international racing to Uruguay and Argentina in 2023 once again.
“This is a clear sign of the global support that TCR has, and that the concept of this motorsport series continues to grow.
“It will be a pleasure to have the best touring car drivers sharing the track with our TCR South America field.
“We have worked very hard with all parties involved to finalise this and would like to especially thank AUVO in Uruguay, and its President Julio Maglione, and the Government of the Province of San Luis for the trust placed in bringing the best touring car racing of the world to race in our region together with TCR South America.
“The TCR World Tour event will be the only international car race event that Argentina will have this season.”
2023 TCR South America calendar
Rounds 1/2 – Argentina – 26/03/2023 – Autódromo Oscar Cabalén (Córdoba)
Rounds 3/4 – Argentina – 16/04/2023 – Autódromo Municipal Juan Manuel Fangio (Rosario)
Round 5 – Argentina – 30/04/2023 – Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo
Round 6 – Brazil – 11/06/2023 – Autódromo José Carlos Pace (Interlagos)
Rounds 7/8 – Uruguay – 23/07/2023 – Autódromo Eduardo P. Cabrera (Rivera)
Rounds 9/10 – Uruguay – 20/08/2023 – Autódromo Víctor Borrat Fabini (El Pinar)
Rounds 11/12 – Argentina – 27/08/2023 – Autódromo Rosendo Hernández (San Luis)
Rounds 13/14 – Brazil – 24/09/2023 – Autódromo Internacional de Santa Cruz do Sul
Rounds 15/16 – Brazil – 22/10/2023 – Autodrome Velo Città
Rounds 17/18 – Brazil – 03/12/2023 – Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (Brasilia)
Entries confirmed for 2023 TCR South America
PMO Racing has confirmed that it will field four Peugeot 308 TCR cars in this year’s championship. The team, under the guidance of experienced tin-top racer Ernesto Bessone, has signed Guilherme Resichl to pilot one of its cars.
Brazilian Reischl has already made ten starts in the series, racing both an Audi RS3 and a Peugeot last season to a best finish of seventh. The year previous, he entered the races at the Interlagos season opener in an Audi to finish in sixth in race two.
Resichl will also contest TCR Brazil, and said: “It is a pleasure for me this year to be present in both TCR South America and TCR Brazil with PMO Racing.
“They are very serious and I loved the Peugeot. It will surely be a great year for us and having Ernesto Bessone as a teacher is an honour.”
Paladini Racing is a new name on the grid this year, and has announced plans to field two new Toyota Corolla TCR cars for 2022 title contender Juan Ángel Rosso and experienced Súper TC2000 driver Fabián Yannantuoni.
“It is with real pride to once again be linked with a sports project and even more so at the hands of Paladini, with whom we have been working together for many years,” said General Director Víctor Rosso.
“It is the first time that the brand will have its team. It motivates us and excites us to the maximum to be able to do it together.”
For Yannantuoni, the 43-year-old admits it will strange to no longer be part of the TC2000 grid after 24 years.
“I am happy to be starting this season in TCR South America,” said Yannantuoni. “It is a category that is growing, with teams, cars and a very good level of drivers.
“On the other hand, it’s weird, after many years it’s going to be the first one where I’m not going to be in the TC2000 [championship], but I’m happy to have the change at the moment.
“I am very anxious to test these cars. I have followed the latest dates of last season and the truth is that it is a championship that I really like.
“I hope to be able to adapt quickly, with a team that I know, with cars that, from what I spoke with other drivers, I already know a little about how they behave.”
Rosso acknowledges that, having challenged for the drivers’ title in 2022 in a Honda, he will have work to do in a ‘development’ year in 2023.
“It seems to me that it will obviously be a year of development,” said Rosso. “We are goingt to have to work a lot, but I trust the technical area.
“I think we can achieve very good objectives – the most important being to fight for the championship and try to win it.”
Also switching from TC2000 to TCR is Bernardo Llaver. The 35-year-old Argentine has already tasted the category when he competed in the season finale last year in a CUPRA run by W2 Pro GP, finishing on the podium in both races at San Juan.
Llaver will race a Toyota Corolla run by Darío Ramonda’s TTA outfit. The team will run two cars – his team-mate is yet to be confirmed.
Llaver has completed 15 seasons in Argentina’s top TC2000 championship, and last year he equalled his best-ever season with the Chevrolet YPF team, finishing sixth overall.
“I am extremely happy to be racing for Toyota again because I have many friends from when I raced with Darío Ramonda’s team a while ago,” said Llaver.
“I am really very happy to do a full season in TCR South America, a category that I really like. Let’s hope it’s successful.”
Series regulars Squadra Martino has already confirmed a four-car Honda attach for 2023. Young rising star Ignacio Montenegro will be joined by Fabio Casagrande, Juan Manuel Casella and Enrique Maglione, with all four drivers having experience of TCR.