The second race weekend of the 2026 TCR Eastern Europe series also brought us plenty of points. Thanks to a first- and second-place finish, Martin Kadlečík strengthened his lead in the championship standings.
After the rain-soaked season opener in Grobnik, Croatia, we moved to the foothills of the Alps. The super-fast Salzburgring, carved into a narrow valley near the UNESCO-protected city of Salzburg, welcomed everyone with sunny, hot weather.
For the first race, Martin secured second place and Radim fifth on the starting grid. Immediately after the red lights went out, Martin tried to get past the leader, Adam Kout, and take the lead. However, he was unable to do so and had no choice but to wait patiently for Kout to make a mistake. That mistake never came, and Martin crossed the finish line in second place. Radim was racing at the Salzburgring for the first time, so his race was more about finding his rhythm. Even so, he finished in fourth place.
The start of the second race was very similar to the first. Once again, Martin was unable to take the lead, and he had to wait for an opportunity to overtake during the race. Unfortunately, this wait came to an end about ten minutes before the end of the race, when Martin had to pull over due to a mechanical issue. Radim managed to drive faster and faster during the weekend and secured another fourth-place finish.
In Austria, we had the added bonus of a third race on top of the standard race weekend. The grid was reversed, so Radim started from the front row and Martin from fourth place. Martin got off to a great start this time and was already in first place as he went through the first chicane. By the time Adam Kout had fought his way to the front, Martin already had a decent lead. Kout eventually managed to close the gap. However, Martin kept his biggest rival behind him with a superb drive. With 5 minutes to go, red flags were waved over the circuit. Martin thus secured his third victory of the season. Radim finished the third race in fifth place.
The next TCR Eastern Europe race weekend is scheduled for the middle of the summer break in Most. Martin leads the overall standings by 15 points.