Share ThisPhoto
Media 
Europe
Follow Us
Donington Makes its Debut As Home Race Venue for the Cruzes
The Leicestershire circuit near RML base hosts a WTCC event for the first time
2011-07-08
ZURICH / WELLINGBOROUGH, 8th July 2011 – It’s home race time for the Chevrolet Cruzes and the RML team, as the WTCC heads to the United Kingdom for the round that marks the beginning of the second half of the season. This year, a new circuit hosts the event: Donington Park. While this will be the first time that it welcomes a WTCC event, the historic track in the East Midlands has a consolidated tradition in touring car racing and is well known by most of the teams and drivers.
Still, a new track always entails new challenges and potential surprises. This, combined with the progress shown recently by some of the Cruzes’ competitors and the unpredictable weather typical of the region, may be the ingredients for an exciting weekend of racing that will certainly attract a big crowd of touring car connoisseurs and knowledgeable British fans.
For Chevrolet and the RML team, the objective will be to maintain the comfortable lead in both championships, but no doubt the motivation to shine and win will be even higher as this is the event closest to the squad’s base in Wellingborough and everybody will be determined to reward with victory, the support of colleagues, friends, family and fans.
So far, this 2011 campaign could hardly have been more successful for Chevrolet. The team has won 11 out of the 12 races of the first half season, posting 4, 1-2-3’s and 4, 1-2’s and taking 26 out of the 36 possible podium finishes. Rob Huff has been the driver visiting the highest spot on the podium most times, 6 in total with Alain Menu winning 3 races and Yvan Muller 2. The Chevy boys have also taken all pole positions (6), 9 fastest laps out of 12, and led 109 of the 142 laps raced so far.
- QUOTES
Rob Huff: “Obviously, I am very excited about Donington. I have never won the UK event of the WTCC, so it would be nice to do so this time, in front of my friends and fans, but I need to be sensible and think about the championship first. The last couple of events went very well for me and I want to continue on this path. I haven’t raced in Donington since 2004 but it’s a circuit I know. There have been many improvements made last year to the track, mostly to the pits complex and the paddock, but also to the two last corners, and we’ll see how that works. ”
Yvan Muller: “The WTCC’s British round has now moved to Donington, another mythical circuit but very different from Brands Hatch. Although I haven’t been there since 2005, I know Donington well since my days in the UK. It’s a hilly track, like Brands, but which requires a more flowing and smoother driving style, as well as a perfectly balanced car. We will be competitive there, for sure, but I notice that the competition, especially SEAT and Volvo, have been making significant progress in the last couple of races, and they also will have less weight. My objective, as always, will be to the best possible job.”
./..
Alain Menu: “I think my last visit to Donington was in 2004 when I participated in a BTCC Race of Champions. I have been quite successful at Brands Hatch in the last few years, but I am equally happy to go to Donington, it’s a circuit I like and most of all, I am happy to go back to the UK, which I consider my second home, as I lived and raced there for almost 20 years. My objective doesn’t change: I’ll try to be on the podium of both races, collect heavy points and reduce the gap with respect to Rob and Yvan in the championship standings.”
Ron Hartvelt: “It’s always nice to race close to home and we are getting ready to welcome a lot of friends and basically all the factory members at Donington. We got the cars back from Porto with no damage at all, which means we are having a smooth turnaround. Home race also means we can shakedown the cars pretty late, on the Wednesday at MIRA. We have never tested with the Cruze at Donington, but we have, of course a lot of data from the our BTCC team and although the BTCC does race on the shorter track, that data can be useful, at least to elaborate the initial simulations.”
Eric Nève: “We are definitely very happy with how the things are going in the Championship this year and with the performance of our three drivers, and we’ll do everything we can to stay ahead for as long as we can! Donington will also be an interesting event out of the track, as we will have the 5 door Cruze presented to the French and UK press and we will host for the first time a delegation of Israeli journalists, who will have the opportunity to visit RML on the Monday after the race. On top of that, Cameron Davies, the very young driver of the Spark rally car, will attend and share his experiences with our WTCC drivers. We’ll just make sure he doesn’t borrow one of our Cruzes to take a ride in the forest!”
DONINGTON RACE SCHEDULE (Local time = CET -1)
Friday, 15th July 2011
13:30-14:00 Testing
Saturday, 16th July 2011
09:00-09:30 Free Practice 1
11:40-12:10 Free Practice 2
14:00-14:20 Qualifying 1
14:25-15:35 Qualifying 2
Sunday, 17th July 2011
09:00-09:15 Warm up
12:05-12:30 Race 1 (13 laps = 52,299 kms) (Rolling start)
14:20-14:45 Race 2 (13 laps = 52,299 kms) (Standing start)
DONINGTON WTCC ON TV
In Europe, qualifying, warm up and the races are be broadcasted live on Eurosport International.
DRIVERS POINTS STANDINGS AFTER RACE 12 OF 24:
1. R Huff (Chevrolet), 227 points; 2. Y Muller (Chevrolet), 198; 3. A Menu (Chevrolet), 167; 4. T Monteiro (SEAT), 101; 5. T Coronel (BMW),100; ... 10. D O’Young (Chevrolet),39; 12. C Bueno (Chevrolet), 25; etc.
MANUFACTURERS POINTS STANDINGS AFTER RACE 12 OF 24:
1. Chevrolet, 491 points; 2. BMW, 279; 3. SEAT SR, 276; 4. Volvo, 76.
CHEVROLET RACING AROUND THE GLOBE
In the US, Kevin Harvick is now the new leader in the overall standings of the NASCAR Sprint Cup, with Jimmie Johnson in 6th, Dale Earnhardt Jr in 7th and Jeff Gordon in 8th positions. More information can be found on www.nascar.com.
In the UK, Jason Plato and Alex McDowall are currently 6th and 9th respectively, at the wheel of their RML prepared Cruzes in the provisional standings of the BTCC, whose next race will take place at Snetterton in early August. More info can be found on www.btcc.net.
In Argentina, the Equipo Oficial Chevrolet found again the way to victory in the TC 2000, thanks to the new Cruze. In the fourth outing of the new car, in Córdoba, Agustín Canapino won and Christian Ledesma was 3rd. They now are respectively 9th and 13th in the overall standings, ahead of the next round in Termas de Río Hondo, on 16-17 July. More info on www.tc2000.com.ar
In Scandinavia, Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden’s Rickard Rydell took a 3rd and a 4th in the Faleknberg round of the STCC and is now second, two points from the lead, in the overall standings. The next round will take place in Karlskoga on 12 August. More info can be found on www.stcc.se.
