THE CRUZE STARTS IN JAPAN ITS FIRST ASIAN TOUR
While the WTCC Prepares For Okayama, Five Chevys Will Fight For The ETCC Title In Portugal
The 2009 World Touring Car Championship is entering in its final laps, as the teams, cars and drivers head to Japan for the first of the two Asian rounds that will conclude the season. This will be the second year that the WTCC visits Japan, where the fans gave a large warm welcome to the series in 2008. The Okayama International Circuit, nested in a hilly and remote region in the Honshu island and home of the former F1 Pacific Grand Prix, will host the event again, which also includes the Asian Le Mans Series.
Once more, the Chevrolet Cruze will find itself in “unknown territory”, as this will be the first time the new car will be racing at the Japanese track, a situation that the team has learnt how to handle throughout the 2009 season. Still, Okayama is not an easy track and changing weather conditions may play a crucial role there, as occurred last year. The team has been making good use of the four weeks after the last European event and has conducted test sessions in Algarve, Pembrey and Jerez to further work on the Cruze’s balance and set-ups.
It is a busy time in the touring car scene, as while the WTCC head to Japan, some of the best teams and drivers of the various S2000 national championships will fight this week end for the ETCC crown. This time, the traditional 2-race ETCC grande-finale, will take place in Portugal, on the Braga circuit, in the north of the country. Chevrolet Denmark driver Michel Nykjær will defend his title at the wheel of his Chevrolet Lacetti, a few weeks after conquering the Danish DTC title. The driver of Perfection Racing will lead a Chevrolet squad that includes four other Lacettis: BTCC driver Harry Vaulkhard and young Portuguese Félix Duarte da Costa will drive the cars of Bamboo Engineering, while former ADAC-Procar champion Vincent Radermecker, from Belgium, and another Lusitanian driver, José Monroy, will be at the wheel of Maurer Motorsport’s cars.
