Daniel Teixeira is the reigning TCR Champion of the Iberian Supercars Endurance. The Cupra TCR driver, who has been participating in the series from the very beginning, explains why he continues racing in the championship and shares his goals for the 2023 season.
The driver from Murça could hardly escape from motorsports, as his father, Joaquim Teixeira, is one of the prominent figures in the Portuguese Hill Climb Championship, having won several titles in his category.
Unable to avoid his destiny, Daniel Teixeira made his debut in motorsport in 2014, at the Rampa Porca de Murça. "I made my debut in my hometown race! For fun, I borrowed a car, and the truth is that it went well. The bug never left, and I have continued ever since. It was inevitable, considering I had many family members in motor racing, and my father also started more than twenty years ago. Besides, I have always liked motorsports. I think it was inevitable", reckons the #59 Cupra TCR driver.
Daniel Teixeira ends up being his father's partner in the world of motorsports, as they share the same car, albeit in different championships. "We chose the Cupra TCR because it's the car my father uses to compete in the Portuguese Hill Climb Championship, and I race with him on the circuits. It is a very competitive machine, and I really enjoy driving it as it provides a lot of fun. Of course, the most recent GT4s are faster, but depending on the tracks, it is still possible to compete with them", said the driver from JT59 Racing Team, the team created by the Teixeira family.
The fact that he shares the car with his father turned out to be decisive for the driver from Murça to move to the circuits, but today this is the environment he prefers. "As we share the car, and my father competes in the Portuguese Hill Climb Championship, which he enjoys so much, the circuits would be the ideal option. However, although I really enjoyed the hillclimb experience, I personally prefer the circuits because we cover more kilometres and, above all, engage in wheel-to-wheel fights, which is what fascinates me the most. So, if I had to choose today, I would continue with circuit competitions", admitted Daniel Teixeira.
The 2022 Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade TCR class vice-champion chose to participate in the Supercars Endurance once again, being one of the first to do so when the competition opened its grids to TCR category cars. He points out important reasons to continue with this choice.
"This is my third year in this championship. In fact, I have been participating since it first appeared. It is a competition that embodies the values I consider important, such as organizational rigor and competitive fairness. Diogo Ferrão, Paulo Ferreira, and their teams have been doing a fantastic job", emphasized the driver, who currently leads the TCR division.
He added, "the competition is highly competitive, but it's a fair fight with great cars. For me, winning a championship like this is more important than winning a trophy. I believe it is the most competitive championship with the highest level in the Iberian Peninsula”.
The Balance of Performance (BoP) is always a topic of conversation in competitions that use this system, but Daniel Teixeira underlines that in Supercars Endurance, the correct application of the system ensures fairness. "The BoPs are completely impartial, although there will always be those who are not satisfied since everyone wants to win. However, the adoption of international BoPs and their rigorous implementation provides us with guarantees of fairness. The organization is doing a fantastic job”.
This season has been a mixed bag for the JT59 Racing Team driver. He has consistently been the fastest among the Turismo category competitors, resulting in two wins. However, technical issues have led to two retirements. "This season is resembling the previous one, where I won half of the races! We have encountered some technical problems that forced us to retire from two races, but we have demonstrated a very strong pace, which makes me very happy. We will work to solve these issues and avoid further DNFs”, promised Daniel Teixeira.
The goals of the JT59 Racing Team driver are clear, as he is determined to have a successful remainder of the season. "We will strive to win all the remaining races, even though we know we will face strong opposition, and fight for the Tourism and TCR titles. Although there is no overall classification, we will aim to finish the races in the best possible position", concluded Daniel Teixeira.
Currently, the driver from Murça is leading the TCR division and second in the Touring Car class standings of the Supercars Endurance, trailing the Spanish duo of Borja Hormigos and Héctor Hernández (BMW M240i Racing) by twenty-seven points.
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