Valencia: Round eight preview

Valencia, October 8 2003 The Superfund World Series by Nissan lands in the Circuit of Valencia where the 8th meeting will take place next 18 and 19 of October. After Barcelona, where Franck Montagny (Gabord Competición) achieved already the Title, the World Series by Nissan will face another challenge in one of the hottest motor racing support land: Valencia.

The Circuit of Valencia will live the prior to the last meeting of this Series that presents a wide range of drivers suitable to achieve the second and third final positions, as well as the Team's Title. Epsilon Euskadi and Ander Vilariño took a very strong position after the achieval of one pole, and three podium positions including the win of Ander Vilariño.

Franck Montagny is now firmly determined to achieve the record of victories in the Series, hold by the Formula One driver and winner of the 2002 edition Ricardo Zonta (8 victories).

The Circuit of Valencia has witnessed the victories of Marc Gené in 1998 with Team Adrián Campos Motorsport and afterwards, in 1999, it saw how Fernando Alonso achieved the Fórmula Nissan Title in the last race of the Season. The Circuit backs the Team owned by Adrian Campos, formed by Santiago Porteiro and José Manuel Perez-Aicart, both from Castellón, and the Lois-Circuit Team, that allows the progression of 4 local drivers: Adrián Vallés and Álvaro Barba, in the World Series Light, and Arturo Llobell and Marco Barba, representing this squad in the Formula Junior Spanish Championship.

Five Teams from the Superfund World Series by Nissan tested in Valencia

The Racing Engineering Belgium-ace Bas Leinders topped the list of times in the Superfund World Series by Nissan laping 1.23.448: "After the second race in Barcelona we changed the engine and it turn to work out very well. I'm very confident for the next meeting but I know that this is not a decisive test because some teams were not testing." Angel Burgueño demonstrated to adapt better to its car achieving the 4th best register, just behind Stephane Sarrazin. As usual the drivers improved their registers in the afternoon's session but some of the drivers did not know that the track activity dead-line was scheduled at 17h00 so they were kept by surprised with the new tyres still to be used, like Montagny.

The Brazilian driver Ricardo Mauricio was again driving the Dallara Nissan of Racing Engineering. And Milka Duno tested again the World Series car with Vergani Formula.

Alan van der Merwe, winner of the F3 British Championship made his debut in this car with the team Carlin Motorsport, and he finished the day only 6' behind the Indian-ace, Narain Kartikheyan: " Yes, I loved my first drive in the Dallara Nissan World Series car. It was fantastically fast and amazing grip. It didn't take me too long to adapt to this new single-seater. I did a very productive test day with my team Carlin Motorsport and I hope that I will participate next year in the World Series by Nissan".

<pre> List of Times from the Circuit de la Comunidad Valenciana Ricardo Tormo 7-10-03

1. Bas Leinders (Racing Engineering)                    1.23.448
2. Polo Villaamil (RC Motorsprt)                        1.23.818
3. Stephane Sarrazin (Racing Engineering)               1.23.867
4. Angel Burgueño (Vergani Repsol Racing for Spain)     1.24.107
5. Narain Kartikheyan (Tata Carlin Motorsport)          1.24.263
6. Nornert Siedler (RC Motorsport)                      1.24.315
7. Franck Montagny (Gabord Competición)                 1.24.478
8. Heikki Kovalainen (Gabord Competición)               1.24.619
9. Alain Van der Merwe (Carlin Motorsport)              1.24.800
10. Ricardo Mauricio (Racing Engineering)               1.24.676
11. Milka Duno (Vergani Formula)                        1.28.795

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