Georgian driver Davit Kajaia promoted to international racing series

Georgian racing driver Davit Kajaia has been promoted to compete at an international touring car championship for the upcoming season after his title-winning performances in a European competition.

Kajaia, 32, celebrated the 2015 European Touring Car Cup TC2T class championship title after dominating the competition with nine wins from 12 stages.

Driving for Team Engstler during the year, Kajaia's performances against drivers in lighter and more powerful cars caught team owner Franz Engstler's eye.

As a result Kajaia was promoted to Team Engstler's senior outfit competing in the Touring Car Racing International Series, with experienced Russian driver Mikhail Grachev expected to be selected as his teammate.

We are confirmed to run with two cars in TCR International. Davit Kajaia will be here with us in TCR International with the Volkswagen,” Engstler Motorsport team manager Kurt Treml told the website www.touringcartimes.com.

The team was among 18 outfits competing in the TCR series and finished fourth in the 2015 season that comprised 11 stages across Asia and Europe.

Kajaia represented the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia during his career and was member of the Ministry's Sport Club.

Organisers of the TCR series were in talks to stage the upcoming season's opening race in Bahrain on April 3.