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The Cruzes Start As Championship Leaders For The European Campaign
Zolder hosts the first European event, which will see the debut of the 1.6 turbo Cruzes entered by the UK’s Bamboo Engineering
2011-04-15
ZURICH/ WELLINBOROUGH, 15th April 2011 – Six weeks after the season-opener in , the WTCC arrives to Europe, where 8 of the 12 rounds of this year’s calendar will be held, as it is now confirmed that will host the round originally scheduled for Marrakech. After the double win in South America, Chevrolet goes to in the best possible position, as leader of the Manufacturers’ standings and with its three drivers in the top three of the Drivers’ ranking.
The objective for the new 1.6 turbo Cruze is therefore to continue building on an excellent start to the season, knowing that the championship has only just started and that competitors are determined to catch up quickly after getting to grips with their new weaponry.
In Belgium, there will be a number of new cars complying with the new 1.6 turbo petrol engine regulation. Among them, are two additional Cruzes, entered by British privateer team Bamboo Engineering that has been competing in the WTCC since last year. Equipped with their new cars, Darryl O’Young and Yukinori Taniguchi will certainly be strong contenders in the WTCC’s Independents Trophy.
- QUOTES
Yvan Muller (#1): “Zolder is a one off kind of circuit and which has some mystique. I think we can do well there, but it will be essential to do well in qualifying, because starting from the front rows is a real advantage there. I don’t know what to expect from the competition, it will be interesting to see how much they have progressed since ”.
Rob Huff (#2): “I am excited about starting the European season and it’s nice to go to a circuit without having to visit an airport! The Cruze worked well in Zolder last year, so I expect this to be the case this time too. In reality, we have a car and a package that is going to be competitive at every circuit, and this is our strength. Still, the competition is going to step-up in Zolder and it’s going to be challenging to keep the 1-2-3 in the championship that we built in . I am leading the Drivers’ standings for the first time, it’s a nice feeling, but it doesn’t mean much at this stage, so I’ll be taking each week-end as it comes and try to do my best every time”.
Alain Menu (#8): “Everything is under control and I am happy about how the new Cruze performs, so I am going to Zolder with the objective to continue the course initiated in and score heavy points. I like Zolder, it is a technical circuit, with interesting fast corners like 1 and 3. I like less the chicanes, especially the second one, where it is never very clear whether you are allowed to cut a bit or not, although one needs to be very careful with the kerbs there. It is also a track where overtaking is not easy: if the driver in front doesn’t make a mistake, it is very difficult to pass, so it will be key to be in front since qualifying”.
Ron Hartvelt: “The cars came back from Brazil a couple of days earlier than expected, this meant that we had the time to bring them back to the RML factory instead of going straight to Zolder, which altered our logistics plan a little bit. In between races, we have been testing at Brands Hatch, and everything went well. We have also been busy building the two 1.6 turbo Cruzes for Bamboo Engineering, which will make their debut at Zolder. One of these cars is the one used by Cacá Bueno in and which was flown back after the race, the other is the first test car. Our new test car is currently being built at the factory, and this is the reason why we will not have a fourth car in Zolder this time. The Belgian track should suit us well, the only thing to watch carefully are the high kerbs, which caused some broken wheels last year. For the rest, with our three drivers in the top three positions in the championship, we can certainly look forward to some exciting racing”.
Eric Nève: “Zolder, where I raced in the early days of my motorsport career, is a very special place to me and always brings back nice memories and warm feelings. It’s a track where Chevrolet hasn’t won yet, so we definitively have that as an objective. With the circuit being one of the favorite tracks of touring car fans and the many guests Chevrolet will have from , the and , we can also expect quite a nice atmosphere during the entire week-end”.
ZOLDER RACE SCHEDULE (Local time = CET)
Friday, 22nd April 2011
14:00-14:30 Testing
Saturday, 23rd April 2011
09:05-09:35 Free Practice 1
11:00-11:30 Free Practice 2
14:00-14:35 Qualifying
Sunday, 24th April 2011
09:05-09:20 Warm up
12:20-12:45 Race 1 (13 laps = 53,404 kms) (Rolling start)
13:35-14:00 Race 2 (13 laps = 53,404 kms) (Standing start)
DRIVERS POINTS STANDINGS AFTER RACE 2 OF 24
1. Huff (Chevrolet), 37 points; 2. Menu (Chevrolet) and Muller (Chevrolet), 33; 4. T Coronel (BMW), 30 ; 5. Bueno (Chevrolet), 25 ; etc...
MANUFACTURERS POINTS STANDINGS AFTER RACE 2 OF 24
1. Chevrolet, 83 points; 2. BMW, 53; 3. SEAT, 40; 4. Volvo, 12.
ZOLDER WTCC ON TV
In Europe, qualifying, warm up and the races are be broadcasted live on Eurosport International.
CHEVROLET RACING AROUND THE GLOBE
In the US, the most notable success for Chevrolet in recent weeks were the two victories of Kevin Harvick in and . After Round 7, the fight at the top of the standings is extremely close, with Jimmie Johnson (currently 4th) and Dale Earnhardt jr (6th) as Chevy’s best-placed drivers. More information can be found on www.nascar.com.
In the UK, the BTCC has started in a triumphal manner for last year’s champion, Jason Plato, as the RML driver took two wins and a fifth in the opening event in Brands Hatch. The other RML Cruze is driven by Alex McDowall. Next round is taking place this coming weekend at Donington. More info can be found on www.btcc.net.
In Argentina, Chevrolet Elaion drivers Agustín Canapino and Christian Ledesma are 11th and 15th, respectively, in the standings of the TC2000, after both Vectras suffered accidents in the second round of the series, held in the street circuit of . Next race is in on 1st May. More info on www.tc2000.com.ar
In Scandinavia, serious things are starting on Easter weekend, with the first round of the STCC taking place at the Jyllandsringen, in . Chevrolet Motorsport is entering two Cruzes for touring car ace Ryckard Rydell and Viktor Hallrup. More info can be found on www.stcc.se.
