Target Competition’s Stefano Comini retook the lead of the TCR International Series with a commanding win in race two in Sochi, finishing ahead of Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Pepe Oriola and Liqui Moly Team Engstler’s Mikhail Grachev.
At the start it was Grachev who took the lead from sixth on the grid, getting past Comini and Michel Nykjær at turn one. Further back Comini was battling with Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Sergey Afanasyev and the WestCoast Racing Honda of Kevin Gleason for second.
Grachev led for a number of laps, before losing the lead on lap six to Comini, who overtook the Russian at turn six to take a lead he would not lose.
An opportunistic Andrea Belicchi tried to follow his team-mate through but made contact with Grachev, spinning the Italian into the wall and out of the race, whilst Grachev was able to continue. The incident was to be investigated after the race, as Grachev was able to hold on to a provisional first podium result.
Oriola benefitted from the contact ahead to take second and remain second overall in the championship standings.
Fourth place went to Afanasyev, who enjoyed battles with Gleason and team-mate Jordi Gené in the race. Race one winner Gené had to settle for fifth, having started from tenth on the grid, whilst pole man Gleason finished in sixth.
Dane Nykjær finished in seventh after losing out significantly at the start, ahead of Tomas Engström in eighth and Russian duo Aleksey Dudukalo and Ildar Rakhmatullin completing the top ten.
More to follow.
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME/GAP | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 25 | Stefano COMINI |  |
Target Competition | SEAT León Racer | 11 | 11 LAPS | 2:21.520 | 4 |
| 2 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León Racer | 11 | 0.611 | 2:22.084 | 8 |
| 3 | 8 | Mikhail GRACHEV |  |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | SEAT León Racer | 11 | 3.47 | 2:22.444 | 6 |
| 4 | 77 | Sergey AFANASYEV | |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León Racer | 11 | 7.544 | 2:22.561 | 5 |
| 5 | 88 | Jordi GENÉ | |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León Racer | 11 | 8.44 | 2:22.312 | 10 |
| 6 | 24 | Kevin GLEASON |  |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 11 | 9.406 | 2:22.578 | 1 |
| 7 | 17 | Michel NYKJÆR |  |
Target Competition | SEAT León Racer | 11 | 9.776 | 2:22.094 | 2 |
| 8 | 4 | Tomas ENGSTRÖM |  |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | SEAT León Racer | 11 | 10.532 | 2:22.460 | 7 |
| 9 | 2 | Aleksey DUDUKALO | |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León Racer | 11 | 17.251 | 2:22.639 | 11 |
| 10 | 26 | Ildar RAKHMATULLIN | |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 11 | 23.853 | 2:23.042 | 12 |
| R | 33 | Andrea BELICCHI |  |
Target Competition | SEAT León Racer | 6 | 5 LAPS | 2:22.023 | 9 |
| R | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 0 | 11 LAPS | N/A | 3 |