Rob Huff Keen To Go Back To Track Of First Touring Car Success
The next stop of the 2006 World Touring Car Championship is Brands Hatch, in the United Kingdom. Not only can England be considered the home of motor racing in general but also of the RML Chevrolet team. In other words: Chevrolet will be running their home race on the Kentish track.
Needless to say team and drivers are keen to play a home match, especially with Rob Huff and Alain Menu having raced and won there before.
“Brands hatch is the kind of race track where experience counts for more than at other tracks,” Rob Huff said. “It’s not an easy track to learn, and since neither the ETCC nor the WTCC have ever been there, so it’s nice have an advantage.”
Brands Hatch was the track were Huff scored his first ever touring car win, in the BTCC. “I’ll probably remember than one forever,” he said. “The safety car pulls off the track with only one lap to go and I’m fourth. Two guys in front of me take each other off and I’m second behind Yvan Muller. He opens the door just a bit in Druids, I sneak through and win. So obviously it’s great to be back at Brands Hatch. Both Alain and I know the place quite well, and Nicola will learn quickly enough.”
Since Brands Hatch is a new track on the WTCC tour (last year’s Race of England was held at Silverstone), the drivers get the usual extra half hour of testing on Friday. But in any case, the Kentish track is a circuit that the team knows very well.
“We tested here in winter for two days, albeit on the shorter Indy course,” Team Manager, Mark Busfield said. “We should be in a position to put on a great show, as none of our cars carry any ballast weight, whereas a lot of our direct competitors do, which should give us an advantage considering Brands Hatch’s very undulating nature. Having a car with less weight therefore should be a bigger plus than elsewhere.”
To further close the gap on their main rivals, the team tested for three days at the Mira Proving Grounds last week, with Alain Menu doing the driving. “We made some improvements on the brakes and suspension that will make the drivers’ job a little bit easier,” Busfield said. “As we have seen from the qualifying times in both previous rounds of this year’s championship, lap times are getting ever closer, so we are now looking to gain just tenths of a second. But one tenth gained makes a big difference where you start the first race.”
Chevrolet Europe’s Motorsport Manager, Eric Nève said: “A spectacular track more suited to our car’s characteristics, drivers who have won here before,… Knowing the passion for motorsports the British have, in particular for touring cars, I wouldn’t be surprised if we were to perform for a full house.”
BRANDS HATCH WTCC SCHEDULEFriday May 19th16.00-16.30 Extra Free PracticeSaturday May 20th09.00-09.30 Free Practice 111.30-12.00 Free Practice 214.00-14.30 Qualifying
Sunday May 21st10.00-10.15 Warm Up14.05-14.30 WTCC Race 1 (12 laps = 50.362kms)15.15-15.40 WTCC Race 2 (12 laps = 50.362kms)
Qualifying, warm-up and the races will be broadcasted live on Eurosport.
POINTS STANDINGS AFTER RACE 4 OF 20
Drivers: 1. A Priaulx (BMW), 16pts; 2. Y Muller (SEAT) 18; 3. J Müller (BMW) 16; 4. Gabriele Tarquini (SEAT) 16; 5. D Müller (BMW) ;… 11. Alain Menu (Chevrolet) 6 ;… 13. Nicola Larini (Chevrolet) 3 ;...
Manufacturers : 1. BMW 54pts; 2. SEAT 48; 3. Alfa Romeo 28; 4. Chevrolet 26.
