Race report
WTCC
James Nash wins the Independent title
James Nash managed to overhaul former team-mate Tom Chilton points total to claim 3rd in the overall Championship.
Edited: Nov 17, 2013, 6:50 PM
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British race ace James Nash is the new World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Independent Champion. The Milton Keynes-based driver finished 6th and 4th overall in his Bamboo Engineering Chevrolet Cruze in the two WTCC races in Macau, China the venue of the final event of this year’s series.
Further, Nash managed to overhaul former team-mate Tom Chilton (RML Chevrolet Cruze) points total to claim 3rd in the overall Championship and in doing so not only became the first British WTCC Independent title winner but also the first Independent Champion of any Nationality to claim a top 3 in the final WTCC overall season standings.
The opening race for Nash was a careful self-controlled run to the finish that ensured the independent Championship but the second race was anything but straightforward with Nash fortunate to emerge relatively unscathed from what became little more than a crash-fest.
James Nash, Chevrolet Cruze 1.6 T, Bamboo Engineering
Photo by: XPB Images
Stopped and re-started twice, the race included a massive pile-up just after the first start and another just after mid-distance caused on this occasion by drivers failing to heed safety flag warnings and smashing into already stricken cars. Luckily, all drivers and indeed trackside Marshall’s involved escaped injury.
For the record, 2013 overall Champion Yvan Muller (RML Chevrolet Cruze) won the opening race with Nash’s Bamboo Engineering teammate Alex MacDowall taking the Independent driver honours. While in the second race last year’s Champion Rob Huff (Seat) won overall with Nash’s 4th place enough to claim the Independent’s award
James Nash: “ We came with a plan to secure the Independent’s title and if we could, a top three overall too. To have achieved both is simply fantastic!”
“ I drove a controlled opening race. I knew what I had to do which was to stay ahead of Tom (Chilton) and with that in-hand there was no need to try anything ahead. I simply had to concentrate on bringing the car home in the points.”
“ The second race though, was pretty dramatic. I got ahead of James Thompson (Lada Granta) off the grid and tucked in behind leader Tom Coronel (Roal BMW) going down to the first real corner but then I could see all hell breaking loose in my mirrors as quite a few cars smashed into each other and blocked the track.”
“ I think had the race not been stopped I would have been good for a podium at least but the two rolling starts that followed rather mucked things up for me.”
“ I’ve had two overall wins this season and won the Independent title. That was the pre-season aim so to have finished in the top three in the overall Championship too is unreal.”
“ Of course, none of this would have been possible without the enthusiastic support and encouragement of quite a few people. I would like to thank in particular, all of my friends and sponsors, Laser Tools, Profile Autones, Hills Number Plates, Champion and Butler Vehicle Solutions. Bamboo Engineering too for giving me such a reliable car and strong platform, my Management and PR team, and last but not least Frizzi and my family. I’d also like to mention all at VGroup International for covering my work whilst I'm away!”
James Nash Racing
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