Dominik Fugel made up for his race one disappointment with a resounding victory in the second ADAC TCR Germany race at the Lausitzring, as he closed the championship gap to 18 points.
Fugel jumped from fourth to second at the start of the race, slotting in behind front-row starter Albert Legutko as reverse-grid pole-sitter Laura Kraihamer made a poor getaway.
Fugel, who had finished ninth after slipping down the order in a disastrous first race, then got past the older FK2 model Honda Civic of Legutko at Turn 9, assuming a lead which he would hold for the duration of the race thereafter.
Legutko initially circulated in second, the German-Pole hoping to add to his maiden podium scored on Saturday. But he lost out to the charging Hyundai of Antti Buri on lap seven as the Finn also looked to close the championship gap.
Buri was not able to close down Fugel’s then three-and-a-half second lead and had to settle for second, although in doing so he has also closed the gap to series leader Harald Proczk, with Buri now nine points adrift in second.
Proczyk started eighth and made up one place on the opening lap past the slow Kraihamer, before the Austrian then put on a mid-race charge in the wet conditions at the Lausitzring.
Passing Nico Gruber for fifth on lap two, Proczyk took fourth from Marcel Fugel just two laps later, before getting past Legutko for the final podium place, just half a lap after title rival Buri had also past the older Honda.
The top three in the championship are now covered by just 18 points with two races left to run at Oschersleben next weekend.
Legutko claimed fourth, only just holding on to the position by 0.041 seconds as the second HP Racing Hyundai of Jan Seyffert sought to pass on the final charge to the finish line.
Seyffert was thus fifth, ahead of Engstler Motorsport’s Nico Gruber in sixth, the young Austrian having run as high as fifth before he dropped back in the second half of the race.
René Kircher was the lead Volkswagen driver in seventh, ahead of guest driver Laura Kraihamer in eighth.
Lithuanian Dziugas Tovilavicius was the last finisher in ninth, losing out to Kraimhamer as a result of a post-race time penalty in lieu of a drive-through because he exceeded track limits by going straight on at turn 1 and gaining an advantage.
Marcel Fugel was the race’s only retirement after he pulled into the pits after 12 laps with an issue on his Honda.
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 88 | Dominik FUGEL |  |
Profi Car Honda ADAC Sachsen | Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR | 15 | 15 LAPS | 2:10.126 | 4 |
| 2 | 13 | Antti BURI |  |
Hyundai Team Engstler | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 15 | 5.114 | 2:10.407 | 7 |
| 3 | 2 | Harald PROCZYK |  |
HP Racing International | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 15 | 7.477 | 2:10.595 | 8 |
| 4 | 17 | Albert LEGUTKO |  |
Albert Legutko Racing | Honda Civic Type-R FK2 TCR | 15 | 12.876 | 2:10.821 | 2 |
| 5 | 98 | Jan SEYFFERT | |
HP Racing International | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 15 | 12.917 | 2:10.538 | 6 |
| 6 | 97 | Nicolas GRUBER | |
Hyundai Team Engstler | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 15 | 23.792 | 2:11.600 | 5 |
| 7 | 8 | René KIRCHER | |
Volkswagen Team Oettinger | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 15 | 24.649 | 2:11.058 | 9 |
| 8 | 103 | Laura KRAIHAMER | |
Hyundai Team Engstler | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 15 | 40.891 | 2:12.542 | 1 |
| 9 | 92 | Dziugas TOVILAVICIUS |  |
SKUBA RACING TEAM | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 15 | 1:07.563 | 2:12.497 | 10 |
| R | 55 | Marcel FUGEL | |
Profi Car Team Halder | Honda Civic Type-R FK8 TCR | 12 | DNF | 2:11.954 | 3 |
