STARD, the developer of the new KIA Cee’d TCR car, are to expand their TCR and aftermarket brand K:FORCE to the Asian region in partnership with EJE Engineering ahead of the 2017 season.
The Austrian company, headed up by former rally driver Manfred Stohl, have developed the Cee’d TCR car for competition in various touring car championships around the globe.
Now, in partnership with EJE Engineering, they hope to further the sales of the car in the Asian region, which includes the new TCR China championship, together with TCR Asia and TCR Thailand.
“We have cooperated with EJE Engineering in other projects already for example in CTCC,” explained STARD CEO Michael Sakowicz. “The team around Edmand and Eddie is very experienced and has a great understanding of what it takes to perfectly support customers in sales and after sales operation and especially with technical support on and off the race track.
“The operation under the banner of ‘K:FORCE China’ will receive full backing of our STARD engineer and sales team. By this we expect to offer Chinese customers the perfect mix of highest level technical support rounded up by the right cultural and lingual environment.”
K:FORCE China is also expected to enter some of its Cee’d TCR cars in race events throughout Asia during the upcoming season.
EJE Engineering CEO Edmand Chan believes that the newest TCR car to be developed is also one of the most interesting, especially given the strength of the KIA brand in Asia.
“After many detailed discussions and common project planning, and meetings in China and Austria last year, we are convinced that STARD and it´s K:FORCE Kia Cee´d TCR are one of the most interesting products on the young TCR market,” said Chan.
“We are very excited and honoured to be the representative for the K:FORCE TCR and aftermarket line for Kia cars in China. We are fully prepared and motivated to provide professional „STARD level“ service, in China.”
Manfred Stohl, President of the Stohl Group, says that the company’s experience in pushing rallying-based projects, along with those in the Chinese Touring Car Championship, will help them in the region.
“As worldwide exclusive rights holder for any Kia-based TCR car it is particularly important for us to supply also markets outside of Europe in an appropriate and professional manner,” said Stohl. “In cases like China and based on our long experience there, e.g. with our Stohl Racing Citroen Works CRC project and strong involvement in some CTCC projects, we know that a regional partner speaking the local language and understanding the culture is a ‘must have’ to be successful.
“Among various options, we selected EJE Engineering, which from our point of view is perfectly suited to accomplish this task in a perfect way. Together with the recently announced TCR China series, we see a bright future for K:FORCE China.”