TCR Finland: 2023-Present
One of many national touring car championships to utilise the TCR regulations debuted by the TCR International Series in 2015, TCR Finland launched in 2023. These regulations provide a relatively accessible means of racing full-on customer tin-tops, with models available from a wide range of manufacturers.
It would be fair to say that TCR Finland endured a difficult inaugural season. Just three drivers contested the opening round of the year, with the thin field sharing the track with other series from the Finnish Racing Championship package. A few weeks later the second round of the season arrived; but TCR Finland was nowhere to be seen.
This remained the case for the third, fourth and fifth rounds of the year. Whether TCR Finland was even still running became a little unclear at this point: registration had apparently been open for these rounds, but nobody had signed up. The few drivers with access to TCR cars seemingly opted to race in other events rather than as part of such a tiny grid, rather understandably.
For the final round of the year however, TCR Finland returned with a marginally larger field of four cars. With only two rounds having actually run in 2023, what the future holds for TCR Finland is uncertain. On paper you’d think there should be a space in the TCR world for another national Nordic series alongside TCR Denmark, especially now that STCC has moved away from TCR to its EV regulations. Hopefully the series can find a footing going forward, though on the evidence of its first season that may be difficult.