Macau: Chevrolet preview

THE CRUZE EAGER TO FINISH THE SEASON IN STYLE IN MACAU

Chevrolet Determined To Further Improve Its Excellent Record In The WTCC's Most Traditional Event

WELLINGBOROUGH / ZURICH, 13th November 2009 The 2009 World Touring Car Championship is coming to an end, as it heads to the closing event in Macau. The race in the streets of the former Portuguese enclave is the most traditional event in the WTCC calendar and Chevrolet has a very special relation with the Autodromo da Guia, as it has won three out of the four last races held in the Chinese city in 2007-08 and signed the pole in both occasions.

This year, the new Cruze will try to further build up on Chevrolet's impressive record in the streets of the Asian town, well knowing though that Macau is always unpredictable and incident-rich, something that derives, perhaps, from Macau's status as the world's capital of gambling...The Chevrolet team is determined to finish the season with a very good result in an event which is really truly special because of its unique atmosphere and the mystique of the track.

* QUOTES

Alain Menu: "I am just excited to be back in Macau! I really love the track and the place, and we have always been competitive there, so I really think we can do some good results. Macau entails a greater number of variables and potential incidents than any other race, and therefore it would be unwise to make predictions, but I think we can aim at being on the podium. At least, that's my objective. Still, we need to verify whether we will be as competitive with the Cruze as in the past. The Cruze is bigger and wider and this may play a role in such a narrow and twisty track, but if the level of performance is similar, we should be in a very good position. We will have a clearer idea after qualifying. Clearly, I would be delighted to take the pole for the third time in a row, but it will be difficult to repeat the perfect lap I could perform in 2007 and 2008. You need to put together a perfect drive, especially in the critical sector 2, and you also need a clear lap, as a clear track is more important than slip-streaming".

Rob Huff: "Like everybody in the team, I am delighted to be again in Macau. Last year, Alain and I won the two races there and I think that with the level of performance we have created from the Cruze, we can repeat that achievement. We know the Cruze is strong on street circuits, as proven with the three wins in Marrakech and Pau, and we won't have the pressure of having to fight for the championship, so our objective is to enjoy this last round and try to bring home a good result".

Nicola Larini: "I like Macau very much and we have always been competitive there. In the past, I have been close to winning the race a couple of times and I hope I will have a little bit more of luck this time. A win would be an ideal way to end the season".

./.. Mark Busfield: "Once again, this is an event that poses a number of logistical challenges to any team. After the race in Japan, the cars and the equipment were packed in containers to be transported to Macau by sea. The team will be arriving on Sunday, in order to re-prepare the cars. Typically, a street circuit does not offer a lot of working space, but at least in Macau we have a large garage area, the cars did not suffer much damage in Japan, so re-preparation should be straight forward. We should be in good shape for this last round, and hopefully, the circuit should suit us with the Cruze as well as in the past. This will also be my last race with team, as I will be taking up new challenges soon, and I would really like to finish this wonderful five-year experience with a great result"..

Eric N