Jason Zhang Zhi Qiang and Martin Cao Hongwei claimed victories for Teamwork Motorsport and MG XPower respectively in Saturday’s TCR Asia and China races at the Zhouzhou International Circuit.
In race one, Zhang started from pole position and claimed a lights-to-flag victory as dramas unfolded behind him.
At the start, Zhang’s team-mate Ma Qing Hua, moved up one place into second behind him, but racing would only last for one lap before the safety car was called upon due to Samuel Qiu Wentao spinning fellow Volkswagen Golf racer Mai Yi Bo, the duo having been battling at the tail of the field.
Racing resumed on lap six, and MG’s Cao was all over the back of Ma for second. However, at the second corner he made contact with Ma, spinning the Lynk & Co driver, whilst the MG suffered from broken right-front suspension and stopped on the circuit.
Again the safety car was needed for two more laps, before racing resumed on lap nine, with Zhang leading ahead of the CTCC-spec Volkswagen Lamando of Tengyi Jiang, who ultimately claimed second.
Victory for Zhang marked his second win in a row, having been victorious last time out in Shanghai. Macanese driver Rodolfo Avila completed the podium in third.
Sunny Wong should have finished fourth for Teamwork, but the Hong Kong racer was spun at the final corner when MG drivers Wang Tao and Zhendong Zhang made contact.
As a result, Wong finished in 13th whilst Zhendong Zhang claimed fourth in his MG ahead of team-mate Wang in fifth and the CTCC-spec Lamando of Rainey He Xiaole in sixth.
After the earlier contact with Cao, Ma claimed seventh at the chequered flag.
Race one result
| POS | NO | CL | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 36 | As |  |
ZHANG Zhi Qiang | Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 12 | 28:45.555 | 1:57.618 | 1 |
| 2 | 71 | |
Tengyi JIANG | SAIC Volkswagen 333 Team | Volkswagen Lamando CTCC | 12 | 1.390 | 1:56.340 | 2 | |
| 3 | 20 | As |  |
Rodolfo AVILA | MG XPOWER | MG6 TCR | 12 | 10.194 | 1:58.615 | 4 |
| 4 | 18 | As | |
Zhendong ZHANG | MG XPOWER | MG6 TCR | 12 | 12.736 | 1:59.036 | 20 |
| 5 | 601 | |
Tao WANG | AHRT Autohome Racing Team | MG6 TCR | 12 | 12.762 | 1:59.940 | 7 | |
| 6 | 22 | |
Xiaole HE | SAIC Volkswagen 333 Team | Volkswagen Lamando CTCC | 12 | 16.264 | 2:00.845 | 10 | |
| 7 | 55 | As | |
MA Qing Hua | Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 12 | 19.893 | 1:57.451 | 3 |
| 8 | 92 | |
ZHU Yuan Jie | SAIC Volkswagen 333 Team | Volkswagen Lamando CTCC | 12 | 21.022 | 2:00.719 | 6 | |
| 9 | 17 | As | |
YANG Xiao Wei | Z.Speed | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 12 | 21.642 | 2:00.698 | 13 |
| 10 | 3 | As | |
Yang XI | Huffsport TM | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 12 | 22.780 | 1:58.975 | 8 |
| 11 | 7 | As | |
YAN Chuang | MG XPOWER | MG6 TCR | 12 | 28.692 | 2:00.795 | 14 |
| 12 | 4 | |
GAO Hua Yang | SAIC Volkswagen 333 Team | Volkswagen Lamando CTCC | 12 | 32.221 | 2:01.212 | 11 | |
| 13 | 12 | As |  |
Sunny WONG Yat Shing | Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 12 | 33.899 | 2:00.393 | 9 |
| 14 | 11 | As | |
LIU Zi Chen | 326 MMK Racing Team | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 12 | 35.429 | 2:02.656 | 12 |
| 15 | 61 | |
Ziyi ZHANG | AHRT Autohome Racing Team | MG6 TCR | 12 | 35.805 | 2:02.546 | 19 | |
| 16 | 51 | As | |
Yifan WU | 326 MMK Racing Team | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 12 | 49.375 | 2:04.116 | 15 |
| 17 | 77 | As | |
Samuel QIU | Z. Speed | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | + 1 LAP | 2:04.311 | 16 |
| R | 88 | As | |
Martin CAO Hongwei | MG XPOWER | MG6 TCR | 5 | DNF | 2:43.852 | 5 |
| R | 16 | As | |
RUAN Cun Fan | ZZRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 0 | DNF | N/A | 17 |
| R | 10 | As | |
MAI Yi Bo | Elegant Racing Team | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 0 | DNF | N/A | 18 |
Race two again saw a lively race. Rainey He started from the reverse-grid pole in his CTCC Lamando, with Wong alongside in his Lynk & Co. Wong led into the start, whilst Ma jumped from seventh on the grid up to third when the lights went out.
Ma passed He for second further around the opening lap, whilst Avila, from sixth on the grid, closed in on and passed Ma for second towards the end of the lap.
On a charge, on the second lap Avila claimed the lead from Wong at Turn 3, with Ma following through back into second. Ma was then able to re-pass Avila and claim the lead at Turn 4 as the battle for the lead grew to eight cars.
Cao, meanwhile moved from ninth on the grid to seventh on the opening lap and by lap three was running in third after passing SAIC Volkswagen’s Zhu Yuan Jie.
On the fourth lap the safety car was required after 326 MMK Racing team-mates Liu Zi Chen and Yifan Wu collided whilst fighting for eighth, Liu having missed his braking point passing Tao Wang’s Lynk & Co before careering into the side of his Audi team-mate.
In the meantime, Avila, running in second, had to pull off the circuit after his car caught fire.
Racing resumed on lap ten, with Ma driving defensively, allowing Cao to go around the outside at Turn 4, giving him the inside line for Turn 5, where the MG driver claimed the lead.
Cao was then able to build up a comfortable margin at the front, whilst Ma allowed Teamwork team-mate Jason Zhang into second for a time to try and close in on the leader.
When it became apparent Zhang couldn’t catch Cao, he dropped back to third, allowing Ma to claim second with Zhang completing the podium.
Zhendong Zhang completed an impressive drive from the very back of the grid to claim fourth in his MG, ahead of the leading CTCC Volkswagen Lamando of Tengyi Jiang in fifth, ahead of team-mate Zhu Yuan Jie in sixth.
In the TCR Asia championship, Ma leads Jason Zhang by 19 points, with Yang Xiao Wei a distant third.
Race two result
| POS | NO | CL | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 88 | As | |
Martin CAO Hongwei | MG XPOWER | MG6 TCR | 15 | 30:28.881 | 1:45.223 | 9 |
| 2 | 55 | As | |
MA Qing Hua | Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 15 | 2.404 | 1:45.104 | 7 |
| 3 | 36 | As | |
ZHANG Zhi Qiang | Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 15 | 2.647 | 1:45.136 | 10 |
| 4 | 18 | As | |
Zhendong ZHANG | MG XPOWER | MG6 TCR | 15 | 7.205 | 1:45.746 | 20 |
| 5 | 71 | |
Tengyi JIANG | SAIC Volkswagen 333 Team | Volkswagen Lamando CTCC | 15 | 8.713 | 1:44.991 | 8 | |
| 6 | 92 | |
ZHU Yuan Jie | SAIC Volkswagen 333 Team | Volkswagen Lamando CTCC | 15 | 12.011 | 1:46.291 | 5 | |
| 7 | 12 | As | |
Sunny WONG Yat Shing | Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 15 | 14.767 | 1:46.986 | 2 |
| 8 | 601 | |
Tao WANG | AHRT Autohome Racing Team | MG6 TCR | 15 | 15.682 | 1:46.876 | 4 | |
| 9 | 17 | As | |
YANG Xiao Wei | Z.Speed | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 15 | 19.539 | 1:47.347 | 13 |
| 10 | 61 | |
Ziyi ZHANG | AHRT Autohome Racing Team | MG6 TCR | 15 | 21.430 | 1:47.169 | 19 | |
| 11 | 4 | |
GAO Hua Yang | SAIC Volkswagen 333 Team | Volkswagen Lamando CTCC | 15 | 21.740 | 1:47.161 | 11 | |
| 12 | 3 | As | |
Yang XI | Huffsport TM | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 15 | 22.708 | 1:46.660 | 3 |
| 13 | 7 | As | |
YAN Chuang | MG XPOWER | MG6 TCR | 15 | 23.390 | 1:48.235 | 14 |
| 14 | 16 | As | |
RUAN Cun Fan | ZZRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 15 | 23.831 | 1:46.398 | 17 |
| 15 | 77 | As | |
Samuel QIU | Z. Speed | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 15 | 23.868 | 1:46.866 | 16 |
| 16 | 10 | As | |
MAI Yi Bo | Elegant Racing Team | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 15 | 31.299 | 1:48.207 | 18 |
| R | 20 | As | |
Rodolfo AVILA | MG XPOWER | MG6 TCR | 4 | DNF | 1:46.522 | 6 |
| R | 11 | As | |
LIU Zi Chen | 326 MMK Racing Team | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 3 | DNF | 1:48.372 | 12 |
| R | 51 | As | |
Yifan WU | 326 MMK Racing Team | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 3 | DNF | 1:49.516 | 15 |
| R | 22 | |
Xiaole HE | SAIC Volkswagen 333 Team | Volkswagen Lamando CTCC | 3 | DNF | 1:52.614 | 1 |