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WORLD AND LIFE
TCR CHAMPIONS 2016
NEWS
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DRIVERS TEAM
Josh Files
by Andrew Abbott
Josh Files is not a normal British tin
top star. The 25-year-old from
Norwich in England has been
crowned as the first-ever ADAC TCR
Germany champion, arguably one of
the most competitive TCR series
there is at the moment.
Having clinched the 2013 Renault
UK Clio Cup title, Files could have
looked at following many of his
counterparts into the British Touring
Car Championship. But he chose not
to, instead taking on Clio races in
Europe in 2013 and 2014, before
funding issues prevented him
competing regularly in 2015.
When the TCR concept was
announced in mid-2014, it was the
ideal platform for Files to get
involved with, and he believes its
timing couldn’t have been better.
“
It was perfect timing
,” said Files.
“In the UK you’ve got the Clio Cup,
and then British Touring Cars, and
the budget gap between them is just
ridiculous. TCR is actually a similar
price to the Clio Cup UK, but the cars
are faster.
”
Files’ achievements in TCR Germany
came despite changing car three
times over the course of the year.
Having planned to race the new Opel
Astra TCR at the start, that plan was
quickly changed following a brief
shakedown in the car in Bahrain.
Target Competition was able to re-
hire a SEAT, which they had earlier
sold for the first round, before
hiring another León for the second
round of the season at the
Sachsenring.
Realising that chopping and
changing cars was not going to be
the way to take the title, the team
finally settled on the Honda Civic, in
part due to the rapid two-week
delivery promised by car builder JAS
Motorsport.
“
Every car was different, and then we
got the Honda. I didn’t even test the
Civic before Oschersleben. But I’m
happy and relieved to say that it’s
one of those cars that absolutely
suited my driving style from the very
start; it just clicked for me, and I was
on pole by more than half a second. I
actually won both races on the road,
even from the reverse grid, but one of
them got taken away from me
because the car went down on the
ground three seconds too late. It’s an
incredible car.
”
Files is still working on his plans for
2017, but he is clear that taking to