FIA WTCC newsletter # 17 - 3 May 2008
IMOLA TO REPLACE ANDERSTORP
The 17th and 18th rounds of the 2008 FIA World Touring Car
Championship will be held at Imola's Enzo and Dino Ferrari
racetrack on September 20th and 21st. It was announced today
by Formula Imola, GruppoNorman's company that was appointed
to run the Italian circuit (that needs to be re-homologated
by the FIA) for the next thirty years. The WTCC event in Imola
will replace the Swedish meeting that was due to take place
in Anderstorp on the same weekend and that was cancelled by
the FIA following a request from the Swedish National Sporting
Authority (SBF), after the Championship and the Event Promoters
have failed to reach a commercial agreement. In their statement,
the SBF hope for a re-inclusion of the Swedish event in the
2009 calendar.
This change - that has been approved by the Touring Car Commission
and must be ratified by the World Motor Sport Council in June
- will mark the return of international racing to Imola, more
than two years after the last Formula One Grand Prix was held
there in April 2006 and twenty-two months after the old racetrack
and facilities were demolished. Imola had already hosted twice
the FIA Touring Car Championship: the ETCC in 2004 and the
WTCC in 2005.
Massimo Cimatti, president of GruppoNorman and Formula Imola
said: "Imola is back on track! We are delighted to launch
our new motor sport calendar with a world championship event
such as the WTCC. This is a major reward for all the efforts
we have made in these first months of management of the circuit."
"We are obviously extremely honoured and excited for
having the opportunity to play the leading role in what will
be remembered as an historical event for motor sport: Imola's
re-opening to international racing," echoed Marcello
Lotti, general manager of KSO the WTCC promoter.
FIRST LAPS FOR LADA IN ZANDVOORT
Russian Bears Motorsport completed their first tests with
the WTCC LADA 110 car on the Dutch racetrack of Zandvoort.
The Russian machine hit the track twice in a few days. On
the first occasion Viktor Shapovalov completed only six laps
before a visit to the gravel trap prematurely ended this run.
The team returned to Zandvoort last Wednesday, and Shapovalov
drove for another 25 laps before handing the controls to his
Dutch team-mate Jaap van Lagen who completed a further 7 laps.
No technical failures were reported and the team will take
part in next week's two-day WTCC official test at Oschersleben.
"The car is running ok, but we need more time to fine
tune it," team manager Dmitry Bernikov declared. LADA
are on schedule to make their first appearance in the WTCC
at Valencia in three weeks.
OFFICIAL TEST IN OSCHERSLEBEN
Before heading to Valencia, some WTCC teams will take part
in a two-day official test at Oschersleben, Germany, next
week. The test will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, May
6th and 7th, in preparation for the championship event that
will be hosted by the German track later in the season, on
August 30th and 31st.
The following teams have confirmed their participation, making
a total of eleven cars: BMW Team Germany, BMW Team Italy-Spain,
BMW Team UK, Chevrolet, N.technology, SEAT Sport and Russian
Bears Motorsport.
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