WTCC
Series newsletter 2008-06-13
CHEVROLET FASTEST IN BRNO TEST Chevrolet drivers set the fastest time in yesterday's official test session at Brno. Alain Menu topped the morning session, with a lap of 2:09.942, while his team-mate Robert Huff was the fastest in the afternoon, ...
Published: Jun 13, 2008, 9:32 AM
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CHEVROLET FASTEST IN BRNO TEST
Chevrolet drivers set the fastest time in yesterday's official test session at Brno.
Alain Menu topped the morning session, with a lap of 2:09.942, while his team-mate Robert Huff was the fastest in the afternoon, improving the best lap to 2:09.648.
The fastest times were much quicker than last year's pole position - Felix Porteiro's 2:11:584 - which was mainly due to the racetrack's new surface.
Huff and Menu were the only two drivers to break the 2:10 barrier. Gabriele Tarquini and Alessandro Zanardi emerged as the fastest men for SEAT and BMW respectively. Tarquini was third fastest (2:10.016) and Zanardi fourth fastest (2:10.244). They were followed by Chevrolet's Nicola Larini (2:10.016) and Porteiro (2:10.244), while James Thompson's Honda set the seventh fastest lap (2:10.276).
Tom Coronel and Pierre-Yves Corthals were also impressive, clocking the eighth and nineth fastest laps respectively (2:10.379 for Coronel and 2:10.465 for Corthals).
The test was disrupted five times by the red flag: the last one towards the end of the afternoon session, when the engine blew on Yvan Muller's SEAT.
WTCC CZECH RACE LAUNCHED YESTERDAY
The WTCC Race of the Czech Republic was launched yesterday at the Automotodrom Brno.
Felix Porteiro, winner of last year's first race in Brno attended the event, together with fellow competitors James Thompson, Nicola Larini, Gabriele Tarquini, Jaap van Lagen and Michal Matejovský.
The circuit's General Manager Ivana Ulmanova and KSO General Manager Marcello Lotti addressed speeches to a large media representative.
"I am very happy to welcome WTCC as the first international event of the seson for our circuit. Since 2005 the WTCC is our second most attended event of the year after the Moto GP. The racetrack has a new surface, which was finished just two months ago, and I hope the drivers will appreciate the difference. I am also pleased that we have a Czech driver, Michal Matejovský taking part in the races," said Mrs Ulmanova.
PRIAULX AND ENGSTLER UNDER OBSERVATION
Like Pau, the WTCC Stewards will pay special attention to Andy Priaulx and Franz Engstler's behaviour on the track.
In fact both drivers received a suspended ten-grid-position drop after they were involved in different collisions during the championship's previous race meeting at Valencia.
Priaulx had a clash with BMW fellow driver Augusto Farfus at the start of the first race; his penalty was suspended for two events: Pau and Brno. Engstler collided with fellow Independent competitor Olivier Tielemans during the second race; his penalty was suspended for three events: Pau, Brno and Estoril.
LADA REMAIN NOT ELIGIBLE TO SCORE
The event in Brno is the last one in which the two LADA 110 cars of Viktor Shapovalov and Jaap van Lagen are not be eligible to score championship points in Brno. The Russian cars failed to pass the scrutineering in Valencia and Pau because the intake and outlet ports of the cylinder head did not conform to the homologation form. With the agreement of all the other competitors, the Stewards decided to let them race as transparent cars until the meeting at Brno.
However the team must introduce the needed changes so that their cars comply before Estoril as no further derogations will be conceded.
VISUAL ART CONTEST IN BRNO
Tomorrow an unusual panel of judges will gather in Brno to elect the best design of a new decoration for the Chevrolet Lacetti race car among various projects presented by young European students. The chosen design will be declared winner of the 2008 Visual Art "Young? Creative? Chevrolet!" competition.
Students from 15 European countries have presented creative projects to redecorate the Chevrolet Lacetti WTCC race car. The author of the best design will be invited to a weekend with the Chevrolet team where one of the three Lacetti racing cars will sport the winning decoration! The judges are: the President of the FIA Touring Car Commission Jonathan Ashman and his wife, TV presenter Sian Lloyd; KSO General Manager Marcello Lotti; Chevrolet Europe Executive Director Wayne Brannon and visual art expert and graphic designer Luca Dotti, the son of late actress Audrey Hepburn.
COUNTDOWN: - 2 DAYS
-credit: fiawtcc.com
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