Hyundai Motor Company is set to open a new chapter in Korean motorsport as it hosts the Inje World Touring Car Festival, bringing together three major racing events — the Hyundai N Festival, FIA TCR World Tour, and TCR Asia — at the Inje Speedium in Gangwon Province from October 18 (Saturday) to 19 (Sunday). The event is being co-hosted with Inje County, marking the first time the prestigious FIA TCR World Tour will be held in Korea.
Hyundai N Festival: Korea’s Largest One-Make Race Series
The Hyundai N Festival is Korea’s largest one-make racing series, where competitors race using identical vehicle models. This year’s event marks Round 4 of a six-round season, featuring race cars based on the IONIQ 5 N and Avante N (Elantra N).
The festival is divided into three categories:
- Gran Turismo eN1 Class (IONIQ 5 N-based electric race cars)
- Kumho N1 Class
- Nexen N2 Class
Each class showcases the performance and reliability of Hyundai’s N high-performance technology in competitive motorsport conditions.
FIA TCR World Tour Debuts in Korea
For the first time in Korea, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) TCR World Tour will be held as part of the Inje World Touring Car Festival.
The TCR (Touring Car Racing) series is a global touring car championship where automakers develop and sell race-prepared vehicles to independent teams. The FIA TCR World Tour represents the top-tier category among more than 20 regional and national TCR championships worldwide, including TCR Europe, TCR Asia, TCR Italy, and TCR China.
Since entering the TCR scene in 2018 with the i30 N TCR and Elantra N TCR, Hyundai has achieved remarkable success — earning two team championships and five driver titles in FIA TCR competition. Most recently, the Elantra N TCR claimed victory at Round 5 of the 2024 FIA TCR World Tour in Australia this September.
The upcoming Round 6 of the FIA TCR World Tour will be held alongside Round 5 of the TCR Asia series, further enhancing the festival’s global appeal.
Global and Asian Stars Join the Grid
Top international and regional drivers will compete at Inje Speedium, including Norbert Michelisz and Mikel Azcona from the Hyundai BRC Team — both FIA TCR World Champions — as well as Néstor Girolami and other elite racers.
From Korea, Junui Park, Junseong Park (Solite Indigo Racing), and Jeongwon Choi (KMSA Motorsport) will represent local talent in the TCR Asia field.
Immersive Motorsport Experience for Visitors
To engage fans and visitors, Hyundai will offer a wide range of interactive and family-friendly programs throughout the event:
- Grid Walk and Pit Walk – meet the drivers and race cars up close
- Circuit Safari – explore the track from a bus during live sessions
- N Taxi Ride – experience hot laps in N production and race cars
- N Bubble Car Wash, N Mini Car Workshop, and WRC RC Car Experience for families
- N Collection pop-up store and Create Your Own N Goods customization booth
- Hyundai N e-Festival racing simulator zone for virtual motorsport fans
Hyundai N Strengthens Global Motorsport Presence
JooN Park, Executive Director of Hyundai’s N Brand Management Division, stated:
“Hyundai’s high-performance N brand has been actively participating in global motorsport through the TCR series. With the FIA TCR World Tour being held in Korea for the first time, we look forward to providing an unforgettable motorsport festival for fans and customers alike.”
The Inje World Touring Car Festival underscores Hyundai’s growing influence in international motorsport and its commitment to delivering exhilarating performance both on and off the track.
