At 19 years old, Erick Schotten achieved his first victory in TCR Brazil and TCR South America. On the night of June 20, at the Autódromo Internacional do Mato Grosso, in Cuiabá (MT), the driver from Timbó won the continental competition race from start to finish.
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A rookie in the category, Erick had to adapt to the Cupra León VZ, a front-wheel-drive car from W2 Racing ProGP, after building his experience mainly in rear-wheel-drive models. The change did not prevent a rapid evolution.
“I have always driven rear-wheel-drive cars, so nothing was like the TCR. But my adaptation was really quick. Today I know the car’s tricks and can turn fast. It was a perfect fit,” said Schotten.
Between March and July 2026, the driver competed in five stages and eight races in the South American and Brazilian TCR championships. Besides the victory in Cuiabá, he reached the podium in Cascavel and showed good pace in the Interlagos Endurance stage. For Erick, the high level of opponents made the result even more significant:
“I have never seen a group with so many fast drivers and with the competence to win races. Almost everyone is very fast. Of course, there are those ‘aces’, like Nelsinho, Néstor Girolami, and Leonel Pernía, who is the champion. But they are all very fast, in a grid of very high level. […] This values your result, like that victory of mine in Cuiabá. […] Overall, it’s an incredible quality,” he detailed.
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Created in 2014 by Italian businessman and promoter Marcello Lotti, the TCR concept allows drivers to compete in championships in different countries using regulations and cars homologated for the category. Schotten’s goal now is to continue on this path and seek, in the future, an opportunity in the TCR World Tour.
“I really want to keep doing TCR. I really like the organization of the championship. […] Of course, there is a path to get there, to build a trajectory and do a World Tour,” he explained.
“In the end, my wish is to race as much as possible, wherever there is an opportunity to race. I want to do Stock Car, combine it with TCR and, who knows, with some European championship. It’s the dream of my life, to have this path and live from motorsport. We will work hard to make it happen,” Schotten concluded.
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