FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 31 – 8 September 2006
NINE RACE WINNERS AND TEN LEAD CHANGES SO FAR
The 2006 FIA World Touring Car Championship is heading to
Istanbul, Turkey, for the eighth race meeting of the season
that will take place at the Istanbulpark on September 23rd
and 24th.
With 14 rounds out of 20 already in the archives, the WTCC
looks unpredictable as ever. By winning the second race in
Brno, Chevrolet’s Robert Huff became the ninth different
race winner in the season so far, with Andy Priaulx, Augusto
Farfus and Jörg Müller being the only drivers able
to score more than one victory.
Eight drivers representing three different Manufacturers
– Alfa Romeo, BMW and SEAT – are still fighting
for the title, and the leadership has already changed hands
ten times from Priaulx to Yvan Muller and back to Priaulx,
going through Thompson and Tarquini. The battle is even closer
in the Manufacturers’ championship, where BMW and SEAT
have shifted the lead onto each other seven times, with the
maximum advantage being 11 points for SEAT after round 6.
YOKOHAMA TESTED NEW TYRES AT BRNO
Last Monday, immediately after the WTCC race day, Yokohama
completed a tyre test at the Brno circuit. Jörg Müller
in a BMW Team Germany BMW 320si and Jordi Gené in a
SEAT Sport SEAT León were charged to test some new
development tyres in view of the next season.
“We have tested several different kinds of new constructions,
learning many things from the test. Now we are thinking to
have another test in Valencia, on Monday after the race day,”
explained Kazuyoshi Sekiguchi, supervisor of Yokohama’s
WTCC programme.
CHEVROLET LOOK AT NEXT SEASON
Chevrolet Europe will present their vision of the next generation
WTCC contender at the Paris Motor Show on September 30. The
WTCC Ultra concept car was developed by a GM team around the
globe. It is the optical vision of a new touring car generation
and takes the Chevrolet body language to the extreme.
The WTCC Ultra is propelled by a 190 bhp diesel engine, while
its proportions give the impression of a car that looks fast
even when it's standing still. The concept car further confirms
Chevrolet’s commitment to the World Touring Car Championship,
in which the brand has successfully competed since 2005. Last
weekend all three current drivers, recent race winner Robert
Huff, Nicola Larini and Alain Menu re-signed with Chevrolet
for the 2007 WTCC season.
ROBERT HUFF RACES THE BRITCAR 24 HOURS
After claiming his first WTCC victory at Brno, Robert Huff
is now facing longer distances. This weekend at Silverstone,
the Chevrolet driver will take part in the Britcar 24 Hours
at the wheel of a Mardi Gras Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R.
Huff will share driving duties with Mark Lemmer, John George,
Ed Pead and Phil Bennett.
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