LE MANS SERIES 2010
Chevrolet WTCC Team Work
11/09/2009
Chevrolet Team Determined To Do Well In Front Of Its Many Fans In Imola
Following on from a frustrating week-end in Oschersleben, where the unpredictable rain, race incidents and penalties prevented the Cruzes to benefit from the good pace shown on the track, the Chevrolet team heads to the next round of the WTCC in Imola with renewed determination to score good results.
As always, the WTCC can expect a passionate and warm welcome in the historic 'Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari" near Bologna and Chevrolet can count on its many fans in Italy, a country where the brand is very popular. The Chevrolet Cruze WTCC was presented to the public for the first time in Italy, at last December's Bologna Motor Show, but has never raced or tested in Imola; notwithstanding this, the good performance level shown at Oschersleben, a track which has similar characteristics, i.e. a combination of very fast and technical sections, than the Italian circuit, is a good premise to this last European round of the season.
· QUOTES
Rob Huff: "Imola is a very special circuit, there is an electric atmosphere that you feel immediately when you get there. It will be another new circuit for the Cruze, so it's difficult to say how well we will perform there with respect to our competitors, but I think we can show good pace there, as we did in Oschersleben last week. I only hope we will not have all the problems we had in Germany and that I can repeat the podium finish of last year."
Alain Menu:"I personally like Imola a lot. It has very fast and technical sections that are not easy to negotiate with a touring car. If you lose the ideal line, your lap is basically lost. Depending on what happens during qualifying, I think we can look for some good result there, especially in Race 2. We saw in Oschersleben how important it is to be up in the grid, and how much of what happens on Sundays is actually based on Saturday qualifying's results, but we also saw that the Cruze is starting to perform well in all types of circuits, and this is really positive."
Nicola Larini:"This, of course, is my home race and a circuit I like very much, so I am really anxious to be in Imola and I will really go for a win there! I have always performed well in the Italian round of the WTCC in previous years, and it's time to add the biggest cup to my collection. Based on what the Cruze showed in Oschersleben, I think we can aim at some very good results, provided we qualify well. Imola this year will also be a special race for me, as my younger brother Andrea will also be competing in the WTCC, driving one of the SunRed SEATs. We have often been racing in the same place the same week-end, but generally in different categories. This will be quite fun, and as you can imagine, there is some excitement in the Larini family..."
Mark Busfield:"When we look back at the cars performance at Germany it's encouraging for us to show well in Imola. The last week has been very busy to re-prepare the cars for Imola and also to prepare all the freight for the remainder of the season, as the cars and equipment will leave the Imola paddock on the Monday after the race to travel direct to the first long haul race in Japan. The logistics for this are enormous and after our shake down today the cars will not return to the factory until after the last race in Macau. As Imola is the last race of the European season, it's vital to give our home fans a good showing, and gather up some more heavy points."
Eric Nève: "After what happened in Oschersleben, our championship chances are basically gone, therefore we can focus on single races again and try to go for some big result at each one, a strategy that has worked well for us in the past. Imola is quite an important race for us, as Italy is by far Chevrolet's most important market in the EU and one of the true cradles of the passion for motorsports. The atmosphere there is always terrific, we always have a lot of fans supporting us there, and for sure this will be an extra reason to do well."
IMOLA RACE SCHEDULE (CET)
Saturday, 19th September 2009
08.45-09.15 Free Practice 1
11:00-11:30 Free Practice 2
15.00-15.35 Qualifying (Q1 20' + Q2 10')
Sunday, 20th September 2009
09.00-09.15 Warm up
12.50-13.15 Race 1 (11 laps = 53.999 kms) (Rolling start)
15.05-15.30 Race 2 (11 laps = 53.999 kms) (Standing start)
IMOLA WTCC ON TV
In Europe, qualifying, warm up and the races are be broadcasted live on Eurosport International.
DRIVERS POINTS STANDINGS AFTER RACE 18 OF 24
1. G Tarquini (SEAT), 91 points; 2. A Farfus (BMW), 90; 3. Y Muller (SEAT), 84; 4. A Priaulx (BMW), 66: 5. R Rydell (SEAT), 61; ... 7. R Huff (Chevrolet), 54; ... 11. A Menu (Chevrolet), 24;... 13. N Larini (Chevrolet), 21; etc.
MANUFACTURERS POINTS STANDINGS AFTER RACE 18 OF 24
1. SEAT, 235 points; 2. BMW, 234; 3. Chevrolet, 159; 4. Lada, 68.
CHEVROLET RACING AROUND THE GLOBE
In the US, Chevy drivers Kevin Harvick and Juan Pablo Montoya starred in the last race in Atlanta, taking second and third, while Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson continue to trust the first three positions in the overall standings. More information can be found on www.nascar.com.
In the UK, the RML Lacettis of Mat Jackson and Jason Plato continued their string of successes, with Jackson taking the pole, two wins and one third in Silverstone, while Plato won the second race and collected a third and a seventh. In the overall standings, Plato is now third and in fight for the title, with Jackson in fifth position and Harry Vaulkhard fourteenth.More information on www.btcc.net.
In Argentina, Chevrolet Elaion drivers Guillermo Ortelli and Christian Ledesma were unlucky in Neuquén, as their Vectras were victims of race incidents. They now lie 8th and 11th,respectively, in the championship. More information can be found on www.tc2000.com.ar.
In Denmark, ahead of this weekend's DTCC event in Ring Djursland, Michael Nykjær is second and Henrik Lundgaard third in the overall standings. More information on www.dtc-net.dk.
In Sweden, Pontus Mörth is 10th and Thomas Schie 11th in the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC), following the round in Vålarbanen. More info on www.stcc.se.
In Germany, the ADAC Procar saw a triumphal come-back of its 2006 champion, Belgium's Vincent Radermecker, who brought the Maurer Motorsport Lacetti to victory in the first race in Oschersleben, collecting also a 4th in race 2, the pole and the two fastest laps. Russian driver Andrei Romanov is seventh in the championship, ahead of Radermecker, with Michael Ruh in tenth position. More info on www.adac-procar.de.
For more information on Chevrolet's World Touring Car Championship programme, please contact:
Michell Seaman
Email: michells@rmlmallock.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1933 402 440
