FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 24 – 22 June 2007
SWEDISH ACES TO RACE IN ANDERSTORP
Rickard Rydell and Fredrik Ekblom – two of the most
successful Swedish Touring Car drivers ever – will join
the FIA WTCC for their home event at Anderstorp, on July 28th
and 29th.
A FOURTH CHEVROLET FOR RYDELL
Chevrolet will enter a fourth Lacetti car in Anderstorp, for
Rickard Rydell, who until 2006 was a regular competitor and
a race winner in the FIA Touring Car Championship, for Volvo
and SEAT.
“I am very pleased to have this opportunity for my
home race. I am confident we can do an excellent job and I
will do my utmost to contribute to the team’s efforts.
I mainly consider myself as a touring car driver, these are
the cars I enjoy the most, and I am very happy to be back
in the WTCC. I thank Chevrolet and Eurosport for this,”
said Rydell.
“In general, we are not favourable to one-shot appearances,
but in this case, with the Lacetti and Rickard, we really
have a potential winning tandem. We have organized a one-day
test in England early July, so Rickard will have the time
to acquaint himself with the Lacetti,” explained Chevrolet
Motorsport manager Eric Nève.
EKBLOM TO TEAM WITH PRIAULX
Fredrik Ekblom, current leader of the Swedish Touring
Car Championship, will take part in three of the remaining
rounds of the FIA WTCC: at Anderstorp, Monza and Macau. The
36-year old from Sweden will team with Andy Priaulx at BMW
Team UK, which is familiar to him as he raced for them in
the 2002 FIA European Touring Car Championship, claiming three
podium appearances.
"We are pleased to have him back, supporting Andy Priaulx
in the fight for the title. In the closing stages of the World
Championship it is especially helpful for a team to have two
cars on the starting grid," said team principal Bart
Mampaey.
Ekblom commented. "I have never lost contact with RBM
and I have followed the team's enormous success over the years
with great enthusiasm. It is impressive to see what Bart Mampaey
has managed to build up with his crew and Andy Priaulx. I
had a good time with them in 2002 and hope that I can contribute
a few points as we move into the deciding stages of the championship."
Ekblom is familiar with the BMW 320si, as he drives it for
Team WestCoast Racing in the Swedish Touring Car Championship.
After five rounds he is leading the championship and in the
past he claimed twice the Swedish Touring Car title in 1998
for BMW and 2003 for Audi. 2
ZANARDI SPECIAL GUEST IN ROME
Alessandro Zanardi was a special guest of the BMW Pit Lane
Park event that took place today in Rome’s impressive
Stadio dei Marmi. The BMW Team Italy-Spain’s ace starred
together with BMW Sauber F1 Team’s driver Sebastian
Vettel, tester Timo Glock and the Formula BMW champion Christian
Vietoris in interviews, autograph sessions, and dynamyc exhibitions
at the wheel of their respective cars. From last year the
BMW Pit Lane Park travels the world to bring the excitement
of motor sport to the people who live in the large cities.
In 2007 Rome was the third city to host the event after Barcelona
and Kuala Lumpur.
HERNÁNDEZ BACK TO PROTEAM
Spanish independent driver Sergio Hernández will rejoin
Proteam Motorsport alongside Luca Rangoni from the next FIA
WTCC meeting in Porto. “I’m very pleased to announce
that we found an agreement with Sergio for the rest of the
season. From the beginning we had been happy with his performances,
and then we were upset because he missed two meetings due
to external reasons. Now he is back with us and, starting
from Porto, together we wish to make up for the time lost,”
team principal Valmiro Presenzini commented.
The Spanish youngster was especially impressive in Valencia,
where he fought with team-mate Rangoni to win the Independents’
races.
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