Pekař converts his pole to victory in TCR Eastern Europe Race 1

Tomáš Pekař opened the 2021 TCR Eastern Europe taking a comfortable victory after starting from pole position. The Czech driver and his CUPRA were only challenged at the start but resisted the assault of Łukasz Stolarczyk and then built a gap. Behind Pekař, Michal Makeš and Milovan Vesnić recovered after making contact to take the other podium positions.
Stolarczyk from P4 was the fastest off the grid at the start and dived inside pole sitter Pekař into Turn 1 but went wide and opened the door to Pekař who took the lead. Behind the two leaders Vesnić and Makeš made contact, the latter held on to P3, while Vesnić dropped to P6 behind Giacomo Ghermandi and Sebastian Steibel. Vesnić managed to pass Steibel for fifth in lap 3, and then Ghermandi for P4 in lap 6.
At the front, Pekař opened a gap and left Stolarczyk defending the second place from Makeš. In lap 5 the two cars ran abreast and made contact until Makeš was able to pass his Polish rival, moving into P2. In lap 10, Stolarczyk was chased by Vesnić who eventually took third place in the chicane.
Pekař cruised to victory with Makeš and Vesnić completing the podium. Stolarczyk’s pace faded and so Ghermandi stole fourth place from him during the final lap; Steibel had passed Ghermandi for P5 in lap 11, but then made a mistake and dropped again behind the Italian and lost sixth position as well to Tomasz Rzepecki.
Race 2 will start at 14:05 local times (CEST); live streaming at www.tcr-series.com.

Race 1
1. Tomáš Pekař (Carpek Service, CUPRA), 13 laps
2. Michal Makeš (Micanek Motorsport, CUPRA), 6.166
3. Milovan Vesnić (Vesnić Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS), 16.779
4. Giacomo Ghermandi (LEMA Racing, CUPRA), 22.468
5. Łukasz Stolarczyk (BTC Maszyny, Audi RS 3 LMS), 23.627

Championship points
1. T. Pekař 29 pts; 2. M. Makeš 19; 3. M. Vesnić 17

Picture: TCR Eastern Europe/Petr Frýba