Harald Proczyk

{{Infobox racing driver

| name = Harald Proczyk

| image =Porsche Carrera Cup Germany 2022 Austria Nr. 20 Proczyk.jpg

| image_size =

| caption =

| nationality = {{flagicon|AUT}} Austrian

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1975|11|09}}

| birth_place = Knittelfeld, Austria

| related to =

| racing licence = 12px FIA Silver

| current series = TCR International Series

| first year = 2016

| current team = WestCoast Racing

| car number = 43

| former teams =

| starts = 2

| wins =

| poles = 1

| fastest laps =

| best finish =

| year =

| last finish =

| prev series = ADAC TCR Germany
24H Series
International GT Open
Blancpain Sprint Series
Blancpain Endurance Series
FIA GT Series
FIA GT3 European Championship
British GT
ADAC GT Masters
MINI Challenge Germany
Renault Clio Cup Germany
Ford Fiesta Cup Germany
Porsche Carrera Cup Germany
Ford Puma Cup Germany
Formula König
German Touring Car Challenge
Citroën Saxo Cup Germany

| prev series years = 2016
2015
2015
2014
2013
2013
2012
2012
2011-15
2007-10
2006
2003-06
2001
2001-02
1999
1999
1998, 00

| titles =

| title years =

| awards =

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| updated =

}}

Harald "Hari" Proczyk (born 9 November 1975) is an Austrian racing driver currently competing in the TCR International Series. Having previously competed in the ADAC TCR Germany Series, Blancpain Sprint Series & ADAC GT Masters amongst others.

Racing career

=Touring Cars=

Proczyk began his career in 1998 in the German Citroën Saxo Cup, he raced there for two seasons finishing 2nd in the standings both years, before switching to the German Touring Car Challenge. In 1999 he switched to the German Formula König championship, he raced there for a single season and finished 16th in the championship standings that year. He switched to German Ford Puma Cup in 2001, he finished 9th in the championship standings in 2002, before switching to the German Ford Fiesta Cup in 2003. While racing in the German Ford Puma Cup that year, he also took part in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany championship. He raced their up until 2006, finishing 2nd in the championship standings in 2004 & 2005. While racing his last season in the German Ford Fiesta Cup, he also raced in the German Renault Clio Cup, taking 3 wins and 5 podiums on his way to finishing 3rd in Clio Cup standings that season. In 2007 he switched to the German MINI Challenge, racing their for many season up until 2010, taking several wins and podiums as well as finishing 2nd in the standings in 2007, 2008 & 2010.{{cite web |url=https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/harald-proczyk/ |title=Harald Proczyk career statistics |publisher=Driver Database |accessdate=6 June 2016}}

=GT Racing=

For 2011 he made the switch to the ADAC GT Masters racing a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 for Heico Motorsport, partnering Dominik Baumann and finishing 5th in the standings that year. The duo continued with Heico Motorsport for 2012, finishing 9th in the standings that year. He only made two one-off appearances in 2013 & 2014 before making a full season return to the championship in 2015, where he again finished 5th in the championship standings.{{cite web|url=http://www.adac-gt-masters.de/uk/artikel/red-bull-ring-home-race-for-grasser-racing-grasser-racing-to-fly-the-flag-for-austria-in-the-adac-gt-masters-194204|title=Red Bull Ring: Home race for Grasser Racing|date=5 June 2014|work=ADAC GT Masters|publisher=ADAC|accessdate=6 June 2016}} In 2012 he switched to the FIA GT3 European Championship, while racing there he also made two one-off appearances in the 2012 British GT Championship. Meanwhile, he had a great season in the FIA GT3 European Championship, only having one retirement and only failing to finish on the podium once, he raced for the Rhino's Leipert Motorsport team in a Lamborghini Gallardo LP600+ GT3 shared with David Mengesdorf. The duo finished 3rd in the standings that year. For 2013 he switched to the FIA GT Series and Blancpain Endurance Series starting the season as a double program with GRT Grasser Racing Team driving a Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560–4. However, they only raced in the first three rounds of the 2013 Blancpain Endurance Series, while still going on to do a full season in the 2013 FIA GT Series, with Proczyk finishing 2nd in the Pro-Am standings that year.{{cite news|url=http://www.automobilsport.com/race-categories--24/race-categories--24,108989,Nogaro-FIA-GT-Series-Entry-List-2013,news.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029221500/http://www.automobilsport.com/race-categories--24/race-categories--24,108989,Nogaro-FIA-GT-Series-Entry-List-2013,news.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=29 October 2013|title=Nogaro FIA GT Series Entry List 2013|date=22 March 2013|publisher=automobilsport.com|accessdate=6 June 2016}} In 2014 he stayed in the series, now named Blancpain Sprint Series, again teaming up with Grasser Racing Team and racing an updated Lamborghini Gallardo FL2 partnered by Jeroen Bleekemolen. The pair took several victories and podiums on their way to finishing 3rd in the Pro Cup championship standings that year.{{cite news|title=Grasser Racing Team is determined to be among the frontrunners in the Blancpain Sprint|url=http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com/news/11/grasser-racing-team-is-determined-to-be-among-the-frontrunners-in-the-blancpain-sprint|date=24 January 2014|accessdate=6 June 2016|work=Blancpain Sprint Series|publisher=Stéphane Ratel Organisation}} Alongside his 2015 ADAC GT Masters program, he also made a one-off appearance in the 2015 International GT Open, as well as entering four races in the 2015 24H Series.{{cite news|url=http://www.creventic.com/eventinfo/pdf/entry-list-hankook-12h-zandvoort-2015-teams-and-drivers.pdf|title=Hankook 12H Zandvoort 2015 Entry List|work=Creventic|date=2 December 2014|accessdate=6 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624121921/http://www.creventic.com/eventinfo/pdf/entry-list-hankook-12h-zandvoort-2015-teams-and-drivers.pdf|archive-date=24 June 2016|url-status=dead}}

=Return to Touring Cars=

Image:Harald Proczyk Seat Leon TCR.jpg

For 2016 he switched to the new-for-2016 ADAC TCR Germany series, driving a SEAT León Cup Racer for his own team HP Racing.{{cite news|url=http://www.adac-motorsport.de/adac-tcr-germany/de/artikel/feld-fuer-premiere-der-tcr-germany-formiert-sich-22-tourenwagen-von-elf-teams-fuer-erste-saison-der-adac-tcr-germany-225601|title=Feld für Premiere der TCR Germany formiert sich|language=German|trans-title=Premiere's field of the TCR Germany is forming|work=ADAC-Motorsport.de|date=30 March 2016|accessdate=6 June 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.adac-motorsport.de/adac-tcr-germany/de/artikel/feld-der-adac-tcr-germany-ist-komplett-die-spannung-steigt-225855|title=Feld der ADAC TCR Germany ist komplett|language=German|trans-title=ADAC TCR Germany's field is complete|website=www.adac-motorsport.de|date=4 April 2016|accessdate=6 June 2016|archive-date=13 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513090445/http://www.adac-motorsport.de/adac-tcr-germany/de/artikel/feld-der-adac-tcr-germany-ist-komplett-die-spannung-steigt-225855|url-status=dead}} He took his first pole position at the second round of the championship held at Sachsenring, he then went on to take a lights-to-flag victory in the first race of the day. He currently leads the 2016 championship standings.{{cite news|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/2016/04/30/harald-proczyk-takes-sachsenring-pole-position/|title=Harald Proczyk takes Sachsenring pole position|work=TouringCarTimes.com|publisher=Mediaempire Stockholm AB|first=Pietro|last=Casillo|date=30 April 2016|accessdate=6 June 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/2016/04/30/harald-proczyk-takes-lights-to-flag-win-as-josh-files-hits-trouble/|title=Harald Proczyk takes lights-to-flag win as Josh Files hits trouble|work=TouringCarTimes.com|publisher=Mediaempire Stockholm AB|first=Pietro|last=Casillo|date=30 April 2016|accessdate=6 June 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/2016/05/02/harald-proczyk-leaves-sachsenring-with-points-lead/|title=Harald Proczyk leaves Sachsenring with points lead|work=TouringCarTimes.com|publisher=Mediaempire Stockholm AB|first=Pietro|last=Casillo|date=2 May 2016|accessdate=6 June 2016}}

In June 2016 it was announced that he would race in the TCR International Series, driving a Honda Civic TCR for WestCoast Racing.{{cite news|url=http://www.tcr-series.com/index.php/news/item/westcoast-racing-signs-harald-proczyk-for-his-home-race|work=tcr-series.com|title=WestCoast Racing signs Harald Proczyk for his home race|date=1 June 2016|accessdate=6 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032303/http://www.tcr-series.com/index.php/news/item/westcoast-racing-signs-harald-proczyk-for-his-home-race|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/2016/06/01/harald-proczyk-joins-westcoast-racing-in-austria/|title=Harald Proczyk joins WestCoast Racing in Austria|work=TouringCarTimes.com|publisher=Mediaempire Stockholm AB|first=Pietro|last=Casillo|date=1 June 2016|accessdate=6 June 2016}} He took a pole position in a rain hit qualifying session at the Salzburgring, but was giving a two-place grid penalty for Race 1 after having driven out of the pits into the fast lane before the green flag was waved following a brief red flag stoppage. He did however get to keep the 5 points awarded for qualifying on pole position.{{cite news|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/2016/06/04/harald-proczyk-takes-shock-pole-as-rain-hits-the-salzburgring/|title=Harald Proczyk takes shock pole as rain hits the Salzburgring|work=TouringCarTimes.com|publisher=Mediaempire Stockholm AB|first=Neil|last=Hudson|date=4 June 2016|accessdate=6 June 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/2016/06/04/jean-karl-vernay-inherits-pole-position-following-penalty-for-westcoast/|title=Jean-Karl Vernay inherits pole position following penalty for WestCoast|work=TouringCarTimes.com|publisher=Mediaempire Stockholm AB|first=Neil|last=Hudson|date=4 June 2016|accessdate=6 June 2016}}