Hyundai will enter TCR South America for the 2026 season, with four Elantra N TCRs after taking over the PMO Racing team.
The entry will be under the Hyundai MSA Banner, following the takeover of the PMO Racing team which has run Peugeot 308 TCR cars in recent years and Lynk & Cos prior to that.
PMO previously won the 2024 drivers’ title with Pedro Cardoso and the 2022 title with Fabricio Pezzini.
Hyundais previously raced in the series in 2021 through to 2023 in an unofficial capacity, with Pedro Aizza achieving several podiums in 2022 with Scuderia Chiarelli and Cardoso scoring three podiums in 2023, also with the same team.
The first driver to be announced is 27-year-old Argentine Diego Ciantini, who has previously made occasional outings in TC2000 since 2020 and in recent years competed in Turismo Carretera.
The announcement means Hyundai is the second marque officially involved in the regional TCR series, after Honda increased its backing for 2025 in support of Squadra Martino.
“It is an honour and a joy to welcome Hyundai to our series,” said TCR South America President Federico Punteri. “For us, it is essential to have the official presence of manufacturers, which commit us to continue working for the growth and development of TCR South America throughout the region.”
Damián Fineschi, a former racer and most recently Team Manager of PMO Racing, is to be the Director of Hyundai MSA.
“Throughout my career and in every role I’ve held, I’ve had the privilege of representing several brands, but this is certainly not just another one,” said Fineschi. “Hyundai has a global commitment to motorsport, always striving for the best for the team, and that’s the kind of pressure you look for in motorsport.
“Announcing Diego as our first driver also demonstrates the objective we have with this project. I want to thank Hyundai Motor Central & South America, the people in the series, Federico Punteri and Mauricio Slaviero, for making this happen, Diego Ciantini for trusting in us, and everyone who has been part of this team since day one, helping us achieve this project. We hope for a very successful 2026.”
Ciantini is the first announced driver and is looking forward to making his début in 2026.
“It’s a real pleasure to represent Hyundai in TCR South America, a very important brand in world motorsport,” added Ciantini.
“It will be a great challenge to be part of a category with such a high level of drivers. I hope to have a great season with Hyundai MSA, and it will be a great honour for me to represent them and work alongside Damián Fineschi and the entire team.”