ETCC: Pergusa: Tom Coronel race notes

Tom Coronel scores again in Independents Trophy ETCC

In the third race weekend of the LG FIA European Touringcar Championship Tom Coronel strengthened his lead in the Independents Trophy for privateer drivers. In the first race of the day he came home in eleventh place overall, the same position as where he started from. Carly Motors teammate Duncan Huisman finished in 13th place. Right after the start of the second race both Dutchmen benefited from the scrumbling cars in front of them and moved up which was the key to their eighth and ninth positions at the finish.

In qualifying the canny Coronel used the slipstream of an Alfa Romeo driver. "It was known from the beginning that the Alfas would be fast here. It is their home race and they are here to show the crowd what they can do. On my first set of tyres I was seventh fastest. Later on in the session I managed to improve my time, but I couldn't hold on to my position and ended up in eleventh place", Coronel said. In the race Tom mainly concentrated on the fellow privateer drivers and did not get involved in any battles. Basically it was just a matter of surviving. We knew the Alfas were stronger on this track so we had to take the best result possible. This explains why I did not move up any places in the first race, although I was in eighth place at some stage. On the long straights we are really suffering here. The start of the second race was quite chaotic. The lights changed to green immediately, without being put on red before. I did not even have the car in gear so I stumbled away from the line. Together with Duncan we managed to move up to sixth place immediately. Later on a faster Alfa came up behind me. I thought it was Ruberti, who is also driving the Privateer class, so I tried to keep him off. On the straight I saw it was Nicola Larini so it didn't make life too difficult for him. It just makes no sense. His car is much faster and I am not willing to take any unnecessary risks. We both have our own objectives. Towards the end of the race I was passed by Frank Diefenbacher in the Seat, but I got that place back when he dropped out with a blown tyre. With my eighth place in the second race I strengthened my lead in the Michelin Independents Trophy, which counts most for me", Coronel concluded. Tom's teammate Duncan Huisman was struggling with the setup of his 2003-spec car but performed stronger in the races, although he just missed out on a points finish with his ninth place in the second race.

The participation of Tom Coronel in the FIA ETCC is made possible by his Dutch sponsors: McGregor, Apex, Castrol, Bridgestone, Autobedrijf Beelen and Clifford

-tc-