Infos

Sie befinden sich aktuell in den Archiven des Blogs Lindner Racing Blog für März, 2010.

März 2010
M D M D F S S
« Feb   Apr »
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  

Archive für März 2010

Max Wissel startet erneut für den FC Basel

Bayernpower für die Schweiz
Nachdem der Deutsche bereits in den letzten beiden Jahren für den FC Basel bei der Superleague Formula an den Start ging, wird er auch in diesem Jahr wieder gemeinsam mit GU Racing dabei sein.
Nach ständigem Auf und Ab im letzten Jahr beendete der Alzenauer die Saison 2009 auf dem 3. Platz in der Gesamtwertung. Eine zufriedenstellende Leistung. Team und Fahrer wollen allerdings mehr.
Das Team zählte bereits im vergangenen Jahr bei den Trainings immer zu den Schnellsten. Im Rennnen machten jedoch einige technische Defekte dem Team zu schaffen. "In der letzen Saison hatten wir viel Pech. Es ist wichtig, dass wir immer ankommen und viele Punkte mit nach Hause nehmen," so Max Wissel.
In diesem Jahr wollen sie angreifen und ganz vorne mitmischen. Über den Winter hat die GU Mannschaft viel Energie in die Aufbereitung der Autos gesteckt. Das macht Mut und gibt Selbstvertrauen. Das GU Racing Team und Max Wissel sind sich einig, "Wir wollen ganz klar die Meisterschaft gewinnen."
Dass dies allerdings nicht einfach sein wird, ist auch klar. Das diesjährige Fahrerfeld ist stärker denn je. Es stehen einige ehemalige Formel 1 Fahrer in der Starterliste, die es sicher kaum abwarten können die jungen Wilden einzuheizen.


Max Wissel CV:
Gebrutsdatum: 24. November 1989
Nationalität: deutsch
Superleague Formula Team: FC Basel
Website: www.mw-racing.de
Motorsportliche Laufbahn:

2010    Superleague Formula by Sonangol, FC Basel

2009    3. Gesamtplatz Superleague Formula by Sonangol, FC Basel, 3. Platz

2008   10. Gesamtplatz Superleague Formula, FC Basel, 10. Platz

2007     7. Gesamtplatz Formel BMW Deutschland

2006   11. Gesamtplatz Formel BMW Deutschland

2005     Sieger der BMW- Talentsichtung in Valencia (Formel BMW Deutschland)

2004    Vizemeister DMV- Nord; Vizemeister DMV- Süd; Vizemeister DMV- Bundesmeisterschaft; Sieger Winterpokal 2003 / 2004

2003   WAKC Meister; 2. Gesamtplatz ADAC Kart-Cup Region West; 3 x 1. Platz Winterpokal Kerpen;

2002    Gesamtsieger Frühjahrspokal Hahn; Gesamtsieger WAKC; Meister ADAC Kart-Cup Region West; Sieger Stefan Bellof-Pokal ; 3 x 1. Platz Winterpokal Kerpen

2001   3. Gesamtrang ADAC Bundesmeisterschaft; 3. Platz DMV- Goldpokal; 3. Platz Winterpokal Hahn

2000   Vizemeister DMV-Meisterschaft; 2. Gesamtplatz NRW-Cup; Sieger ADAC Meisterschaft; Sieger Bambini Winterpokal Kerpen

1999   4. Gesamtplatz der DMV-Bundesmeisterschaft

www.superleagueformula.com

Lady-Power bei der DTM-Präsentation 2010

Gleich drei weibliche Interpreten werden am 18. April 2010 bei der DTM Präsentation in Wiesbaden die Bühne rocken: Die dänische Sängerin Aura Dione, Rocklady Doro Pesch und die Finalistin der Casting-Show „Unser Star für Oslo“ Jennifer Braun geben von 13:00 Uhr bis 18:00 Uhr vor dem Kurhaus den Ton an.
Die Dänin Aura Dione landete mit „I will love you Monday (365)“ einen Megahit. Der Ohrwurm schaffte es auf Anhieb in die Top 10 und Mitte Dezember letzten Jahres sogar auf Platz 1 der deutschen Single-Charts. „I will love you Monday (365)“ ist noch immer auf Platz 17, obwohl der Song bereits im November 2009 veröffentlicht wurde. Am 18. April wird die zierliche Sängerin die DTM-Fans nicht nur mit ihrer atemberaubenden Stimme, sondern auch mit ihren schillernden Outfits begeistern.
Aus 4.900 Bewerbern war Jennifer Braun eine von 20 Kandidaten, die es bis in die Sendung „Unser Star für Oslo“ schafften. Die 18-Jährige überzeugte mit ihren Auftritten nicht nur die Jury, sondern auch das abstimmende Publikum. Mit ihren rockigen Darbietungen konnte sie die Zuschauer für sich gewinnen und zog ins Finale der Castingshow ein. Die Entscheidung, wer Deutschland in der Hauptstadt von Norwegen musikalisch beim Eurovision Song Contest vertreten darf, fiel vor wenigen Tagen zu Gunsten ihrer Rivalin Lena Meyer-Landrut. Als frischgebackene zweite Siegerin performt die Rheingauerin ihre erste Single „I care for you“ nun live vor dem heimischen Publikum. Unterstützt wird sie dabei von der 8 köpfigen Cover-Band Rewind, mit der sie bereits seit sechs Jahren auftritt.
Die Geschichte von Doro Pesch ist die Geschichte der erfolgreichsten deutschen Rockröhre. In ihrer 25-jährigen Karriere spielte die Düsseldorferin bereits in über 50 Ländern der Erde. Kürzlich feierte sie ihr 2.500. Bühnenjubiläum; am 18. April präsentiert sie in Wiesbaden ihre größten Hits. Bereits im vergangenen Jahr nahm Doro Pesch als Beifahrerin im Audi A4 des DTM-Champion Timo Scheider Platz. In Wiesbaden steuert die begeisterte DTM-Anhängerin zum Motorensound Welthits wie „Für immer“, „Herzblut“ oder „All we are“ bei.
Im vergangenen Jahr verabschiedete sich die DTM mit einem Besucherrekord von 210.000 begeisterten Zuschauern aus der Sportstadt Düsseldorf. Der Eintritt zur DTM-Präsentation 2010 vor dem Wiesbadener Kurhaus und auf der Wilhelmstraße ist kostenfrei. Weitere Informationen zur Veranstaltung finden Sie auf den Internetseiten www.dtm.com und www.wiesbaden.de.

Philipp Eng returns for F2 title attack

DSC_8853

Eng at Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch race winner targets championship win and F1 test drive in 2010

20-year-old Austrian driver Philipp Eng has confirmed he will return to Formula Two for a second season, after an impressive debut campaign in 2009 which included two podiums and a dominant win at Brands Hatch.

Eng scored a third place finish during the inaugural weekend in Valencia and repeated the feat at the second event in Brno, Czech Republic. He claimed his first F2 pole position at Brands Hatch in July, which he converted into a lights-to-flag victory at the legendary Kent venue – resisting the challenge of eventual 2009 champion Andy Soucek. He suffered a run of bad luck in the latter part of the season but scored further points finishes at Donington Park, Imola and Barcelona, and finished the year eighth in the overall standings.

The Salzburg-born racer, who is mentored by ex-F1 pilot Christian Danner, has already experienced Formula One machinery having tested with the BMW Sauber Team in 2008 as a reward for winning the BMW World Final the previous year. Now targeting the title in his second F2 campaign, Eng is hoping to win the championship and earn another Formula One test drive prize – this time with the Williams F1 Team.

Philipp Eng said: “I am extremely delighted to be returning to Formula Two – it is just a great feeling to know that I will be racing in a top level single seater series again. It is always a nerve wracking time when you’re trying to secure a drive but now I can sleep easier knowing that I am back in F2! Like some other drivers, I will have the advantage of this being my second season but you cannot take that for granted. Kazim Vasiliauskas and Nicola De Marco will be very strong, Jolyon Palmer also went really well during winter testing and I am sure there will be some good rookies coming too, so it will not be easy. I want to at least finish in the top three overall but my main aim is to win the championship.” 

F2 Series Director Jonathan Palmer said: “Philipp Eng impressed me enormously during the 2009 F2 season. Despite his young age and very limited experience, he proved his natural speed immediately with a remarkable top three place at the first event in Valencia. Philipp’s dominant performance at Brands Hatch, when he won from pole position at a track renowned to be a challenging drivers’ circuit, was outstanding. I expect Philipp to be a multiple race winner in F2 during 2010 and to finish in the top three in the championship - with a realistic chance of winning it.”

www.formulatwo.com

Mallorca New Limits en la Copa de España de Trial Clásicas

La primera prueba de la Copa de España de Trial de motos clásicas se disputó el pasado fin de semana en la localidad mallorquina de Maria de la Salut. El piloto del equipo de competición Mallorca New Limits, Juan Poyatos, participó en los dos días con suerte diversa. El sábado la jornada además puntuaba para el campeonato de Baleares.

En esta prueba el actual subcampeón Xim Forteza fue superior en todo momento a sus rivales, marcando un solo pie en todo el trial, que se disputó a dos vueltas en doce zonas. Juan Poyatos, actual campeón de la categoría, cometió un error en el paso de una “puerta”, lo que le computó una penalización de 5 puntos que sería definitiva en la clasificación final, por lo que se quedó fuera del cajón, siendo cuarto tras Xim Forteza, Albert Bonet y Juan Mir.

De este modo el campeonato se pone más emocionante incluso que en la temporada anterior, ya que en esta edición, de las tres pruebas disputadas de las ocho de las que consta el campeonato, todas han tenido un ganador diferente. De momento Juan Poyatos se mantiene tercero, a pocos puntos de Xim Forteza y Albert Bonet, que lideran la clase de “trialeros”, equivalente al nivel de dificultad intermedio.

En cuanto a la clasificación de la Copa de España, Juan Poyatos fue noveno entre los más de veinte clasificados en su categoría, trialeros clásicos venidos de todos los rincones de la geografía nacional, e incluso internacional, ya que también hubo dos pilotos extranjeros. En definitiva, una prueba con cerca de un centenar de pilotos inscritos que se disputo con un tiempo lluvioso y desapacible que hizo algunas zonas casi imposibles debido al barro y el agua en las rocas, lo que provocó numerosas caídas e incluso dos heridos, afortunadamente leves.

Koldo Zuazaga - Ferbis Press

Holländische Flagge in der Saison 2010 ganz oben

Robert Doornbos fährt für Corinthians, Narain Karthikeyan unterschreibt beim PSV Eindhoven und Chris van der Drift hat die Ehre für Olympiacos zu starten.
Die Holländer werden in der diesjährigen Superleague Formula by Sonangol stark vertreten sein.
Ex-Formel-1-Fahrer Robert Doornbos, der für den brasilianischen Fußballclub Corinthians starten wird, war die letzte holländische Bekanntgabe. Doornbos sammelte bereits im Jahr 2008, zusammen mit dem AC Mailand, Erfahrung in der Superleague Formula. In den letzten Jahren machte er sich auch in der A1GP, der Formel 3000, der Indycar Serie und nicht zuletzt in der Formel 1 bei Minardi und Red Bull einen Namen.
Doornbos: "Nach vielen Angeboten für die kommende Saison entschied ich mich, letztendlich für Corinthians mit Azerti in der Superleague Formula zu starten. Azerti ist ein sehr starkes Team und es ist mir eine Ehre, einen der berühmtesten Fußballclubs der Welt zu vertreten. Nach einem Jahr in den USA will ich wieder Rennen gewinnen. Obwohl ich auch betonen möchte, dass mein Abenteuer in Amerika nicht zu Ende ist. Mit vielen ehemaligen Formel-1-Fahrern wird die Konkurrenz in der diesjährigen Superleague Formula stark sein. Meiner Meinung nach ist die Superleague Formula, nach der Formel 1, die wichtigste Serie in Europa. Für das Vertrauen in mich und die Möglichkeit, an der Superleague Formula teilzunehmen, möchte ich meine Dankbarkeit gegenüber Azerti und Robin Webb aussprechen. Außerdem danke ich meinen Sponsoren und Fans, welche ich über Twitter auf dem neuesten Stand halten werde."


Auch Teammanager Wim Coekelberg freut sich über den Neuzugang: "Ich bin sehr froh, Robert in unserer ‘Familie’ zu haben. Ich danke seinem Management für das Vertrauen in uns. Wir werden alles tun, um zusammen mit Robert großartige Ergebnisse einzufahren."
Währenddessen gab der einzige holländische Fußballclub in der Formula Superleague, der PSV Eindhoven, bekannt, gemeinsam mit dem indischen Fahrer Narain Karthikeyan bei der diesjährigen Superleague Formula by Sonangol anzutreten. Jan Lammers, Teammanager des PSV, erklärte die Wahl von Karthikeyan: "Eine weltweite Bekanntheitssteigerung des PSV war einer der Hauptgründe für die Teilnahme an der Superleague Formula. Mit der Verpflichtung von Narain, und eben keinem holländischen Fahrer, verfolgen wir alle die gleichen Absichten."
Der 33-jährige Karthikeyan war der erste indische Formel-1-Fahrer, der zunächst für Jordan als Stammfahrer verpflichtet wurde und in den Jahren 2006 und 2007 bei Williams als Testfahrer tätig war. Von 2007 bis 2009 war er in der A1 GP Serie unterwegs, in der er in Brands Hatch zweimal aufs Podium fahren konnte. Brands Hatch ist neben Silverstone auch fest im Superleague Formula Kalender 2010 eingeplant.
Neben Doornbos werden zwei weitere holländische Fahrer an der Superleague Formula teilnehmen. Der Viertplatzierte der Superleague Formula des letzten Jahres, Yelmer Buurman, startet für den italienischen Giganten AC Mailand. Die griechische Flagge wird Chris van der Drift bei Olympiacos vertreten.
Im letzten Jahr war van der Drift, zusammen mit Epsilon Euskadi, in der Formel Renault 3.5 unterwegs. Der 24-Jährige, mit holländisch-neuseeländischer Nationalität, wurde 2007 Vizemeister in der Formula Master und gewann im darauffolgenden Jahr die Meisterschaft.
Auf die Frage, welche Erwartungen er an die Saison zusammen mit Olympiacos hat, antwortete Van der Drift: "Es wird eine neue Erfahrung für einen Fußballclub wie Olympiacos zu fahren. Es unterscheidet sich von meiner bisherigen Erfahrung in Rennserien. Ich bin das Auto bisher noch nicht gefahren, freue mich aber sehr und kann das erste Rennen kaum erwarten. Für Olympiacos starten zu dürfen macht mich sehr stolz. Es ist ein sehr erfolgreicher Fußballclub mit einer langen Tradition. Ich gebe mein Bestes, den Erfolg auch im Motorsport umzusetzen."

www.superleagueformula.com

Mundial Trial Indoor Palma 2010

!cid_42162022-513E-47C6-AFF7-DABA17230221@Belkin

THE 2010 FIA EUROPEAN TOURING CAR CUP STARTS AT BRAGA IN A NEW FORMAT

The 2010 FIA European Touring Car Cup starts this week in Braga for the first of its three events.
After being held at a single event for the past five years, the ETCC will visit Austria and Italy after Portugal for the 2010 season.
The original schedule included an event in Oschersleben, Germany, on September 5th, but this was cancelled to avoid clashes with the national touring car series.

2010 FIA European Touring Car Cup - calendar

28th March - Braga, Portugal
25th July - Salzburgring, Austria
14th October - Franciacorta, Italy

SHORT STORY OF THE EUROPEAN CUP
The FIA European Touring Car Cup is reserved for cars complying with the FIA Super 2000, Super Production and Super 1600 technical regulations. Drivers’ titles are awarded for each of the three categories.
The first event, held in Valellunga, Italy, on 16th October 2005 was won by Richard Göransson from Sweden in a BMW 320i (S2000) and Lorenzo Falessi from Italy in an Alfa Romeo 147 (SP).
The second event took place in Estoril, Portugal, on 22nd October 2006 and saw victories for Ryan Sharp from Scotland in a SEAT León (S2000) and Alexander Lvov from Russia in a Honda Civic (SP).
The third event, hosted by the Italian Adria Raceway, on 28th October 2007, Denmark’s Michel Nykjær (SEAT León) and Russia’s Aleksey Basov (Honda Civic) claimed the S2000 and SP titles respectively.
Nykjær (Chevrolet Lacetti) encored his S2000 victory at the Austrian Salzburgring, on 29th October 2008. Italian Fabio Fabiani (BMW 320i) was sacred champion in SP. S1600 cars made their first appearance and the title went to Ralf Martin from Germany in a Ford Fiesta ST.
Last year the ETCC visited Braga’s Circuito Vasco Samerio on October 25th. In rainy race conditions, James Thompson (Honda Acccord) won the S2000 Cup, while Marcis Birkens (Honda Civic) and Carsten Seifert (Ford Fiesta) were crowned in the SP and S1600 classes respectively.

A THREE-MANUFACTURER BATTLE FOR S2000
Although the number of cars has shrunk considerably compared to the previous years, especially because the smaller teams could not find the budget to afford to take part in the event, the level of the Super 2000 12-car field promises exciting and close competition.
In the major class, local drivers César Campaniço (BMW) and Francisco Caravalho (BMW) will face a strong international representation headed by the Honda cars of James Thompson and Tomas Engström that also includes a few FIA WTCC independents such as Kristian Poulsen (BMW) from Denmark, Marin Colak (SEAT) from Croatia and Ibrahim Okyay (BMW) from Turkey.
The strong Spanish team SUNRED Engineering will run petrol-powered SEAT cars for a couple of young and promising drivers, the 19-year old Russian Timur Sadredinov and the 21-year old Michaël Rossi from France.
A whole family will make the long trip from the far Ukraine: Leonid Protasov leads a trio of BMW cars, alongside his son Yuriy and his daughter Irina. 
Drivers of three different manufacturers - BMW, Honda and SEAT - will be fighting on equal ground for the European crown.

2009 CHAMPIONS DEFEND THEIR TITLES
All three winners of the 2009 FIA ETCC titles are eager to defend their crowns.
In the Super 2000 class James Thompson is back at the wheel of the Honda Accord run by the Denmak-based Hartmann Honda Racing. The Briton, who will drive the same car in this year’s Scandinavian Touring Car Cup, is joined by the experienced Swede Tomas Engström, the only driver who has taken part in all the ETCC events from 2005 onwards. The pair is also due to make occasional appearances in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Latvian driver Marcis Birkens, who clinched the Super Production Cup last year in his SC Papa’s Racing Team Honda Civic, will be challenged by the BMW 320i of the previous winner Fabio Fabiani, who won the class in 2008.
In the Super 1600 class three Ford Fiesta cars will fight for victory, with reigning champion Carsten Seifert facing his German countrymen Jens Lhönig and Florian Heitmeier.

NATIONS CUP AWARDED FOR THE FOURTH TIME
In addition to the three FIA European Touring Car Cups for Super 2000, Super Production and Super 1600 drivers, the FIA Touring Car Nations Cup will be awarded for the fourth time. This title goes to the National Sporting Authority (ASN) whose drivers have scored the highest number of points in the two races.
The best two cars entered by competitors belonging to the same ASN will be taken into consideration for the Nations Cup’s classification.
The Nations Cup was awarded to the British Motor Sports Association in 2006 and 2009 and to the Dansk Automobil Sports Union in 2007 in 2008.

ONE QUALIFYING AND TWO 50-KM RACES
The format of the FIA European Touring Car Cup is based on the FIA World Touring Car Championship’s.
After three one-hour private test sessions on Friday, the actual event will start on Saturday with one 30-minute practice and one 30-minute qualifying session.
On Sunday two back-to-back 50-km races (17 laps) will take place, featuring a rolling start and a standing start respectively.
The grid for the second race will be determined by the results of the first race, with the first eight drivers classified placed in reverse order.

YOKOHAMA AWARDS 100,000-EURO PRIZE MONEY
At each of the three events, Yokohama, sole supplier of the control tyres for the FIA European Touring Car Cup, will award the competitors prize money of 100,000 euros.
Prize money will be split among the three categories: ? 70,000 to Super 2000, ? 20,000 to Super 1600 and ? 10,000 to Super Production.

www.fiaetcc.com

Motorsport Salon Ljubljana 2010

image

Nasvidenje do prihodnjega leta

2. MotorSport Salon Ljubljana je danes ob 18. uri na Gospodarskem razstavišču počasi zaprl vrata. Organizator Samo Čede je že napovedal tretjo izvedbo salona, ki bo v vseh pogledih še večji in boljši. Točen termin še ni določen, vendar bo vsekakor potekal v marcu 2011. Letošnji salon je nedvomno dokazal, da imamo na sončni strani Alp veliko bencinskih navdušencev, ki si želijo avto-moto šport spoznati izza volana. Več kot 60 voženj so v dveh dneh odpeljali obiskovalci z dirkalnikoma fiat seicento in toyoto yaris. Nekaj čez 30 se jih je odločilo popeljati na sovozniškem sedežu pokalnega renault clia RS, medtem ko je za volan mercedes-benza CLC sedlo nekaj čez 120 obiskovalcev in se preizkusilo na podlagi SportDrifta.

Vse to jasno nakazuje, da Ljubljana, kot slovenska prestolnica, potrebuje takšen dogodek s še več neposrednimi aktivnostmi za obiskovalce. Formula 1 Red Bull in Ford Focus RS WRC pa sta k zadovoljivemu obisku zagotovo veliko pripomogla.

Samo Čede: »Zadovoljni smo z izvedbo salona. Lahko pa bi slovenski dirkači pokazali malo več volje in se pokazali, svoje dosežke in dirkalnike, kakor je to v navadi v tujini. Le tako bodo lahko našli pokrovitelje in pravilno predstavili avto-moto šport javnosti.«

Drago Božič: »Bilo je dobro, vendar ne dovolj, da bi bilo lahko še boljše.«

IMG_6995 IMG_7420 IMG_7276

Pripravil: Iztok Franko, odnosi z javnostmi e-naslov: press@motorsport-salon.si

mob. tel.: +386/31/235 503                                       www.motorsport-salon.si

HANNINEN TAKES DOMINANT RALLY ARGENTINA WIN

Third consecutive podium for IRC leader
Skoda secures one-two-three finish
Juho Hanninen and Skoda have made it three different winners from three rounds of this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge following a dominant victory on Rally Argentina, which finished with a spectacular superspecial stage through the streets of host town Carlos Paz earlier today (Sunday).
The Finn, who drives for the factory Skoda Motorsport team, builds his overall title lead to five points after claiming his first win of the season. Proof of the 28-year-old’s impressive performance on the challenging gravel event was underlined by the fact he won 11 of the 15 special stages, despite having to run first on the road on the final day of the rally.
Hanninen’s win also marked Skoda’s maiden victory of the 2010 IRC and has given the Czech firm a 22-point lead in the IRC manufacturers’ standings after three rounds.
Briton Guy Wilks finished runner-up after a strong drive, which helped him to cement his second place in the drivers’ table. Wilks started Sunday’s final leg intent on closing on overnight leader Hanninen but a minor brake problem on his Fabia S2000 cost him valuable time and meant he had to settle for second.
Kris Meeke, in a Peugeot 207, was also hamstrung by mechanical problems, an electronic issue contributing to an intermittent throttle glitch, which led to a fraught midday service while his Peugeot UK mechanics worked to rectify the problem. He looked set to hold on to third place until disaster struck on the penultimate stage of the event when a steering bolt broke and forced him to retire. Meeke’s misfortune let in Jan Kopecky for third place to complete a one-two-three for Skoda.
Gabriel Pozzo finished as the top Argentine driver in fourth overall after edging ahead of countryman Federico Villagra on Sunday’s fourth stage to secure the first IRC manufacturer championship points for Subaru. Pozzo’s performance meant he also secured his second win in a row in the Argentinean championship, which ran alongside the main IRC event.
Villagra reported that his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000, which he was using in competition for the first time, lacked outright pace on the sandy stages although he conceded he was still getting to grips with his car.
Bruno Magalhaes scored points for the third time this season in his Peugeot Portugal 207. He reported his car had struggled for power on the higher altitude stages but said he was satisfied at the progression he had made throughout the weekend.
Argentine Nicolas Madero held onto his overnight seventh place at the wheel of his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. Paraguay’s Diego Dominguez claimed the final point in eighth place in a similar Lancer with Alejandro Cancio and Juan Marchetto rounding out the top 10 in ninth and 10th respectively.
Claudio Menzi started the final day in ninth but incurred a 50-second penalty for leaving first service late after he missed his alarm call and failed to wake up in time. A front-right puncture, caused by hitting a rock on stage 11, added to his woes and dropped him to 11th.
Nasser Al-Attiyah’s IRC debut ended in retirement when his Skoda Fabia ingested too much water going over a river crossing and triggered a misfire. Daniel Oliveira retired his Peugeot 207 with suspension damage after going off on stage 11.
Brazilian Rafael Tulio took the IRC 2WD Cup laurels in his Peugeot 206. He had trailed Argentine Pablo Pelaez initially but moved in front on stage five on Saturday when Pelaez damaged the front of his Honda Civic going through a water splash, which caused the engine to overheat.

!cid_adfe15d807775bfb0ef1ed3e81377a1b
Juho Hanninen was fastest on 11 of the 15 stages in Argentina

DRIVER QUOTES

Juho Hanninen (Finland), Skoda Fabia S2000, first overall: "I’m very happy but a little bit surprised how good everything has been for me on this rally. There was a lot of fog on the first stage but I knew I didn’t need to push. I took it easy to avoid the rocks but I also had to keep my rhythm to avoid making any mistakes. It’s been safe and fast you could say and I have had a very good feeling. I would like to have the same feeling on every rally."
Guy Wilks (United Kingdom), Skoda Fabia S2000, second overall: "We’ve had a fantastic two rallies in South America with two second places and Skoda UK Motorsport has done a magnificent job. Juho drove very well and we maintained a fast and safe pace. I’m looking forward to fine tuning the set-up and challenging for victory on our next event."
Jan Kopecky (Czech Republic), Skoda Fabia S2000, third overall: "I’m very happy to be on the podium after quite a difficult rally but I think without Kris having the problem it would not have been possible. It was bad luck for him but good for me."

!cid_ffd706288e05a0b91f2dda5db827db1b
Co-driver Mikko Markkula and Juho Hanninen celebrate victory

TOP TEN IRC POSITIONS AFTER LEG TWO

1 Juho Hanninen/Mikko Markkula Skoda Fabia S2000 2h30m38.1s
2 Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh Skoda Fabia S2000 +51.0s
3 Jan Kopecky/Petr Stary Skoda Fabia S2000 +2m20.1s
4 Gabriel Pozzo/Daniel Stillo Subaru Impreza STI +5m03.9s
5 Federico Villagra/Jorge Perez Companc Ford Fiesta S2000 +5m14.2s
6 Bruno Magalhaes/Carlos Magalhaes Peugeot 207 S2000 +6m11.0s
7 Nicolas Madero/Guillermo Piazzano Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X +6m47.5s
8 Diego Dominguez/Edgardo Galindo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X +7m39.3s
9 Alejandro Cancio/Santiago Garcia Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X +8m38.3s
10 Juan Marchetto/Gustavo Franchello Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X +9m17.6s
Leading IRC 2WD Cup finishers: Rafael Tulio/Cesar Valandro (Peugeot 206)

IRC STANDINGS

Drivers after round three of 12
1 Juho Hanninen (Finland) 24pts
2 Guy Wilks (United Kingdom) 19pts
3 Jan Kopecky (Czech Republic) 15pts
4 Kris Meeke (United Kingdom) 10pts
= Mikko Hirvonen (Finland) 10pts
6 Bruno Magalhaes (Portugal) 9pts
7 Nicolas Vouilloz (France) 6pts
8 Gabriel Pozzo (Argentina) 5pts
= Stephane Sarrazin (France) 5pts
10 Federico Villagra (Argentina) 4pts etc
Manufacturers after round three of 12
1 Skoda 46pts
2 Peugeot 24pts
3 M-Sport 14pts
4 Ralliart 6pts
5 Subaru 5pts
IRC 2WD Drivers after round three of 12
1 Kris Princen 10pts
= Marcos Tokarski 10pts
= Rafael Tulio 10pts
4 Pierre Campana 8pts
= Luis Gius 8pts
= Pablo Pelaez 8pts
= Luis Tedesco 8pts
8 Thomas Barral 6pts
= Ulysses Bertholdo 6pts
= Alicia Reina 6pts etc
IRC 2WD Manufacturers after round three of 12
1 Peugeot 36pts
2 M-Sport 22pts
3 Abarth 19pts
4 Honda 8pts
5 Skoda 5pts

STAGE WINNERS

Friday 19 March
SS1: Super Special Stage Carlos Paz 1 (3.30kms): Kris Meeke
Saturday 20 March
SS2: Las Bajadas-Villa del Dique 1 (16.57kms): Juho Hanninen
SS3: Amboy-Santa Monica 1 (20.43kms): Juho Hanninen
SS4: Santa Rosa-San Agustin 1 (21.53kms): Guy Wilks
SS5: San Agustin-Villa General Belgrano 1 (16.46kms): Juho Hanninen
SS6: Las Bajadas-Villa del Dique 2 (16.57kms): Juho Hanninen
SS7: Amboy-Santa Monica 2 (20.43kms): Juho Hanninen
SS8: Santa Rosa-San Agustin 2 (21.53kms): Juho Hanninen
Sunday 21 March
SS9: La Cumbre-Agua de Oro (15.06kms): Juho Hanninen
SS10: Ascochinga-La Cumbre (22.40kms): Juho Hanninen
SS11: Valle Hermoso-Casa Grande 1 (11.34kms): Juho Hanninen
SS12: Cosquin-Villa Allende 1 (19.18kms): Juho Hanninen
SS13: Valle Hermoso-Casa Grande 2 (11.34kms): Jan Kopecky
SS14: Cosquin-Villa Allende 2 (19.18kms): Juho Hanninen
SS15: Super Special Stage Carlos Paz 2 (3.30kms): Jan Kopecky
Stage winners in 2010
Juho Hanninen: 19
Kris Meeke: 7
Sebastien Ogier: 7
Mikko Hirvonen: 3
Jan Kopecky: 2
Stephane Sarrazin: 2
Nicolas Vouilloz: 1
Guy Wilks: 1

TV TIMES

Eurosport, Europe’s largest television channel, will show highlights of each day of the rally. Highlights will also be available at www.rally-irc.com
Monday 22 March
06:30-07:00: Day two highlights repeated (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
08:30-09:00: Day two highlights repeated (Eurosport)
Tuesday 23 March
23:30-24:00: Magazine (Eurosport and Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
Wednesday 24 March
03:30-04:00: Day two highlights repeated (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
09:00-09:30: Magazine repeated (Eurosport)
All times are CET

www.rally-irc.com

FBM - Trial Base Maria de la Salut

La lluvia hizo acto de presencia en Maria de la Salut, convirtiendo las cuatro zonas (que se habían que pasar tres veces) que se habían marcado, muy adecuadas para los pilotos del trial base, en pistas de patinaje. Aún así, y gracias a los miembros de la FBM, que se hizo cargo de las categorías Base 80, Base 50 y Escolar, la competición se desarrolló de forma impecable.

Base 80

Sergi Mesquida fue el que mejor se adaptó a las circunstacias de la prueba, colocándose líder desde el primer giro, que completó con 6 puntos. Mucha igualdad para la segunda plaza, con Adolfo Caballero que penalizó 10 puntos por los 12 de Augusto Fernández y Jordi Crespí, que no estuvo tan acertado como en otras ocasiones.

En la segunda vuelta Mesquida entregó su tarjeta con 0 puntos, que sumado al solitario punto de la tercera vuelta le dio el triunfo final con 7 puntos. Adolfo realizó un segundo giro muy bueno, con 1 punto, que le permitió separarse definitivamente de Fernández y Crespí, que empataron en las dos vueltas finales, a 7 y 8 puntos. Segunda posición pues de Adolfo Caballero con 16 puntos, siendo tercero Augusto Fernández con 27, los mismos que Jordi Crespí, que fue cuarto.

Base 50

Jordi Torres terminó imponiéndose en esta categoría, a pesar que en la primera vuelta iba segundo, ya que Joan Cerdá (10p) penalizó un punto menos que él, gracias a la segunda y tercera vuelta, en la que marcó 7 y 6 puntos respectivamente. Joan Cerdá mantuvo su nivel, pero fue insuficiente para mentenerse en la primera posición, consiguiendo la segunda con 29 puntos. Con 35 puntos Jordi Font subió al tercer escalón del podio, mientras que Daniel Urrutia (38p) fue cuarto, seguido de José Luis Pérez (40p), Jorge López (41p), Gabriel Riutort (40p) y Alejandro Fernández (43p)

Base Escolar

Pep Salleras fue el mejor en esta categoría destinada a pilotos que se inician en el trial, con 7 puntos, mientras que Jorge Hernández era segundo con 31 puntos y Tomás López tercero con 2 puntos más.

FBM

IRC LEADER HANNINEN ON TOP IN ARGENTINA

Juho Hanninen will start the final leg of the 30th Personal Rally Argentina with a lead of more than half a minute following a dominant performance at the wheel of his Skoda Motorsport Fabia Super 2000 today (20 March).
The 28-year-old Intercontinental Rally Challenge leader from Finland was fastest on six of Saturday’s seven special stages, despite insisting he was not going flat-out in his efforts to claim his first victory of the season alongside co-driver Mikko Markkula. Although Hanninen could lose time by running first on the road on Sunday, his pace during this afternoon might be enough to minimise any disadvantage he could face.
Guy Wilks, driving for the Skoda UK Motorsport team, moved into second place on the sixth stage of the event when he demoted fellow British driver Kris Meeke into third overall. Wilks claimed his first stage win of the campaign when he went fastest on the fourth test of the gravel rally. Apart from regretting his decision to raise the ride height of his Fabia and experiment with his suspension settings in the afternoon, the Englishman said he was satisfied with his performance.
Meeke, the defending IRC champion, rued his choice of the harder compound tyre for the afternoon’s loop of three stages, which he said was not suited to the conditions, which remained dry, albeit slightly colder than in the morning. The Peugeot UK ace, who was hindered by an electronic glitch on stages four and five, lost more ground when he picked up a front-right puncture two kilometres from the end of the day’s final stage.
Czech Republic’s Jan Kopecky, in the second factory Skoda, makes no secret of his lack of gravel prowess although a fourth-gear spin on stage three did little to help his confidence. He had hoped to find more speed by running with only one spare wheel to carry less weight during the morning loop of stages but that gamble made no difference to his outright pace. Nevertheless, he is on course for a healthy haul of points in fourth overall.
Fifth-placed Federico Villagra is the leading Argentine heading into day two in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta. The eight-time national champion was mystified that he wasn’t closer to the leading pace and suggested his car’s engine had lacked grunt on the sandy stages.
Gabriel Pozzo completes the top six in his Subaru Impreza WRX, despite being handed a 10-second time penalty for leaving morning service late while his mechanics worked to repair damaged rear suspension.
Bruno Magalhaes blamed his lowly starting position of 11th for his failure to run at the sharp end of the leaderboard. But the Peugeot Portugal driver has refused to be disheartened and battled his way to eighth overnight, behind leading Argentine Group N driver Nicolas Madero, in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.
Nasser Al-Attiyah has made a steady start to his IRC career at the wheel of a Rene Georges Rally Sport-run Fabia. Although the Qatari has extensive experience of competing in Argentina, he’s still lacking knowledge of his car, although his main cause of complaint, particularly in the morning, was running first on the road. Hopes of a reversal of fortune in the afternoon were shattered when he picked up two right-side punctures on stage six.
Daniel Oliveira was in the top 20 when an off on stage three left him stranded in thick mud for more than 10 minutes until spectators helped to haul his Peugeot 207 back onto the road. The delay dropped the young Brazilian into last position at one stage but he has fought back to within touching distance of the top 30 heading into Sunday’s final leg.
Despite heavy rain in the build-up to the rally, it remained dry throughout Saturday’s leg. Rain is expected tonight, however, while fog is expected to add to the challenge facing the crews on Sunday’s early stages.

!cid_59ec0e4cbce21c86e3cb580f28df8609
Juho Hanninen is on course for victory on Rally Argentina

DRIVER QUOTES

Juho Hanninen (Finland), Skoda Fabia S2000, first overall: "It’s been a good day with no problems. I pushed a bit more this afternoon to keep my lead good for tomorrow even though there were some deep ruts. I plan to keep my gap tomorrow although I know the boys behind will still be pushing. I will just see what I can do."
Guy Wilks (United Kingdom), Skoda Fabia S2000, second overall: "The stages have been tricky today but we’ve got to keep the pressure on tomorrow because you never know what will happen. Juho has been flying today, particularly this afternoon."
Kris Meeke (United Kingdom), Peugeot 207 S2000, third overall: "The water splash on stage four seemed to affect the gear shifting systems, which cut the engine, but we got it fixed at service. It’s been impossible to live with Juho today but it’s not over yet."

!cid_45cdfe5705044ee33ab683714b040c5b
Kris Meeke (left) dropped valuable time with a puncture

TOP TEN IRC POSITIONS AFTER LEG ONE, SECTION TWO

1 Juho Hanninen/Mikko Markkula Skoda Fabia S2000 1h16m55.0s
2 Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh Skoda Fabia S2000 +32.2s
3 Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle Peugeot 207 S2000 +51.0s
4 Jan Kopecky/Petr Stary Skoda Fabia S2000 +1m26.2s
5 Federico Villagra/Jorge Perez Companc Ford Fiesta S2000 +2m57.7s
6 Gabriel Pozzo/Daniel Stillo Subaru Impreza STI +3m11.1s
7 Nicolas Madero/Guillermo Piazzano Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X +3m34.6s
8 Bruno Magalhaes/Carlos Magalhaes Peugeot 207 S2000 +3m45.9s
9 Claudio Menzi/Diego Cagnotti Subaru Impreza STI +3m56.8s
10 Diego Dominguez/Edgardo Galindo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X +4m03.4s

LEG TWO ITINERARY (SUNDAY 21 MARCH)

Service D: Carlos Paz, 06:40hrs; SS9: La Cumbre-Agua de Oro (15.06kms), 08:13hrs; SS10: Ascochinga-La Cumbre (22.40kms), 09:13hrs; SS11: Valle Hermoso-Casa Grande 1 (11.34kms), 10:08hrs; SS12: Cosquin-Villa Allende 1 (19.18kms), 10:40hrs; Service E: Carlos Paz, 12:10hrs; SS13: Valle Hermoso-Casa Grande 2 (11.34kms), 14:08hrs; SS14: Cosquin-Villa Allende 2 (19.18kms), 14:40hrs; SS15: Super Special Stage Carlos Paz 2 (3.30kms), 16:23hrs; Service F: Carlos Paz, 16:33hrs; Finish: Carlos Paz, 16:53hrs.

www.rally-irc.com

PRESENTACIÓN VI RALLY CLÁSICO ISLA MALLORCA

DSC_2685

El próximo martes día 23 a las 12:00 h., se presentará la sexta edición del Rally Clásico Isla Mallorca en el Hotel Palas Atenea del Paseo Marítimo de Palma.

DSC_2805
Contaremos con la presencia de las siguientes autoridades:
D. Diego González
Delegado para el deporte
del Govern de les Illes Balears
D. Cosme Bonet
Consejero de presidencia del Consell de Mallorca
Dª Isabel Oliver
Consejera de Economía y Turismo del Consell de Mallorca
A la espera de confirmación la asistencia de
Dª Aina Calvo
Alcaldesa de Palma
Invitamos a los medios de comunicación a recoger su solicitud de acreditación en esta presentación así como un pequeño "kit" con toda la información, horarios y planificación del evento.
También se puede descargar la guia del aficionado en la página web wwww.rallyislamallorca.com, donde encontrarán todas las fotos y nombres de participantes, horarios, tramos y demás información relevante.
El próximo jueves día 25 a las 19:00 h. tendrá lugar la ceremonia de salida en el Parc de Ses Estacions de Palma, donde se podrán ver todos los coches participantes antes de afrontar el primer tramo de la jornada en el emblemático Coll de Sa Creu.

DSC_2848

Rally Clásico Isla Mallorca
Departamento prensa
C/ Reina Constanza esquina Jeroni Pou      07006 Palma de Mallorca
Tel. 00 34 971 29 13 21      Mov. 00 34 616 99 26 87
prensa@rallyislamallorca.com                     http://www.rallyislamallorca.com

Britain’s Dean Stoneman joins Formula Two

Stoneman on track

Stoneman: “F2 is the best and quickest way for me to reach the top”

Formula Renault UK race winner Dean Stoneman has become the latest driver to have signed up for the 2010 FIA Formula Two Championship.

19-year-old Stoneman gained a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting young prospects after a superb breakthrough year in the 2008 Formula Renault UK Championship. Dean took three wins, nine podiums and three pole positions in his first year in the series – a better record than former Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton’s debut season in the same formula.

Dean’s performances earned him a nomination for the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, won in the past by David Coulthard and reigning F1 champion Jenson Button. He remained in Formula Renault for the 2009 season, finishing fourth overall with one victory, eight podiums and one pole to his credit despite some misfortune and reliability issues.

Stoneman’s single seater career dates back to 2006 when the young Briton contested selected rounds of Formula Renault 2.0 UK BARC. He stayed in the series the following year, finishing as the overall runner-up. He went on to contest that season’s Formula Renault UK Winter Series, immediately recording a podium finish.

Dean Stoneman said: “I showed what I am capable of in my first season in Formula Renault, and although I had some bad luck last year I still scored well. I think Andy Soucek showed that if you win F2 you get noticed by some key figures in the sport, and for me Formula Two is the best and quickest way to reach the highest tier of motorsport. The Formula One test drive and the award of an FIA Superlicence for the top three are also big attractions, so this year I will be going out all out to try and win the F2 title.”

F2 Series Director Jonathan Palmer said: “Formula Two is the perfect step for Dean and I’m thrilled he is joining the grid. His strong performances in two years of Formula Renault UK have marked him out as one of the few British drivers with a realistic chance of making it to F1, particularly as he has been racing without the benefit of a leading big name team. With greater reliability, he would have scored even better results. Now with identical equipment to his rivals, Dean will surely be a championship challenger in his first year of F2 and his tough determined character will mean he certainly won’t be overawed by more the experienced drivers.”

www.formulatwo.com

LEG ONE, SECTION ONE REPORT: Personal Rally Argentina, 19-21 March, 2010

LEG ONE, SECTION ONE REPORT: Personal Rally Argentina, 19-21 March, 2010
Intercontinental Rally Challenge, round three of 12

MEEKE TOPS SUPERSPECIAL TO LEAD IN ARGENTINA

Kris Meeke will take a slender lead of 1.4 seconds into the second section of leg one of the 30th Personal Rally Argentina after topping the times on the opening superspecial stage through the streets of Carlos Paz on Friday (19 March).
In front of a capacity crowd of 12,000 fans, Meeke completed the all-asphalt 3.30-kilometre course, held in wet conditions, in a time of 2m32.8s at the wheel of his Peugeot UK 207 Super 2000.
Bruno Magalhaes, in his Peugeot Portugal 207, was second fastest having recovered from illness in the lead up to the rally. Guy Wilks completed the top three as the highest-placed Skoda Fabia driver.
Intercontinental Rally Challenge leader Juho Hanninen, who was paired against Meeke on the street course, was fourth fastest in the first of two factory Fabias. His time was identical to that of team-mate Jan Kopecky, who was classified fifth.
Juan Manuel Marchetto was the leading Argentine driver in sixth overall in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, with countryman Federico Villagra seventh. However, Villagra will face an anxious wait to learn if his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 can be restored to full working order after he reported a problem with his car’s gearbox at the end of the stage.
Along with Uruguayan veteran Gustavo Trelles, Miguel Baldoni was the first driver to tackle the stage and ended up eighth quickest, marginally faster than Brazilian Daniel Oliveira, who finished the stage with slight damage to the right-rear corner of his Stohl Racing Peugeot 207 after nudging a straw bale.
Saturday’s action features seven stages with the opening 16.57-kilometre Las Bajadas-Villa Del Dique stage getting underway at 08:13hrs local time. However, the results of the superspecial won’t alter the road positions for the second section of leg one, which were determined earlier today. Nasser Al-Attiyah, who is tenth overnight, will be the first to tackle the stages in his Fabia. Hanninen will go second with Wilks third, Villagra fourth and overnight leader Meeke fifth. The overnight forecast is for heavy rain.

!cid_12fdc3f1cef9ee743f0449534bafc728
Kris Meeke holds a slender overnight lead on Rally Argentina

DRIVER QUOTES

Kris Meeke (United Kingdom), Peugeot 207 S2000, first overall: "It was a good enough run through but it’s one of those stages when you can lose everything, particularly when the rain came in. It was impossible to judge the grip so we might have been a bit wrong to have shaved our tyres so much. The fans were incredible, I really enjoyed it."
Bruno Magalhaes (Portugal), Peugeot 207 S2000, second overall: "It was very difficult and very slippery, especially with gravel tyres on wet Tarmac. I was very cautious because of this. I think the car is better now after Brazil."
Guy Wilks (United Kingdom), Skoda Fabia S2000, third overall: "I tried to keep it as neat as possible but what a welcome that was to Rally Argentina with greasy Tarmac, gravel tyres and rain. It got a bit close at times."

!cid_66c1cfc9816babd2694c203cbfb392a5
Bruno Magalahes is second overall in his Peugeot Portugal 207

TOP TEN IRC POSITIONS AFTER LEG ONE, SECTION ONE

1 Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle Peugeot 207 S2000 2m32.8s
2 Bruno Magalhaes/Carlos Magalhaes Peugeot 207 S2000 +1.4s
3 Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh Skoda Fabia S2000 +2.2s
4 Juho Hanninen/Mikko Markkula Skoda Fabia S2000 +2.9s
5 Jan Kopecky/Petr Stary Skoda Fabia S2000 +2.9s
6 Juan Manuel Marchetto/Franchello Gustavo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X +7.2s
7 Federico Villagra/Jorge Perez Companc Ford Fiesta S2000 +7.8s
8 Miguel Baldoni/Jose Luis Diaz Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X +8.4s
9 Daniel Oliveira/Carlos Del Barrio Peugeot 207 S2000 +9.3s
10 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Giovanni Bernacchini Skoda Fabia S2000 +9.4s

LEG ONE, SECTION TWO ITINERARY (SATURDAY 20 MARCH)

Service A: Carlos Paz, 06:10hrs; SS2: Las Bajadas-Villa del Dique 1 (16.57kms), 08:13hrs; SS3: Amboy-Santa Monica 1 (20.43kms), 09:00hrs; SS4: Santa Rosa-San Agustin 1 (21.53kms), 09:41hrs; SS5: San Agustin-Villa General Belgrano 1 (16.46kms), 10:24hrs; Service B: Carlos Paz, 12:14hrs; SS6: Las Bajadas-Villa del Dique 2 (16.57kms), 14:57hrs; SS7: Amboy-Santa Monica 2 (20.43kms), 15:44hrs; SS8: Santa Rosa-San Agustin 2 (21.53kms), 16:25hrs; Service C: Carlos Paz, 18:20hrs.

www.rally-irc.com

WTCC SUPPORTS MAKE ROADS SAFE CAMPAIGN

The FIA World Touring Car Championship has demonstrated its support for improving global road safety with the rebranding of its Safety Car, From the season opener in Curitiba it has run with liveries displaying the Make Roads Safe campaign logo and the web site address where more information on the UN backed road safety initiative can be found.
Following the recent Decade of Action for Road Safety declaration by the UN General Assembly, the FIA is developing a ten-year international action plan to support the initiative. The FIA is encouraging its motorsport and mobility membership as well the competitors and key stakeholders in its Championships to participate in the Decade of Action.
The Make Roads Safe campaign is an initiative of the Commission for Global Road Safety and has been spearheaded by the FIA Foundation.
As a direct result of the Make Roads Safe Campaign and the work of the Commission for Global Road Safety, this March the United Nation proclaimed 2011-2020 a Decade of Action for Road Safety. With road deaths having been set to double in the next 10 years, this landmark resolution will pave the way to halve the deaths over the next decade saving five million lives.

The FIA WTCC safety car sports the logo of the Make Roads Safe campaign

HONDA TEAMS JOIN FORCES FOR ETCC AND WTCC
The two most successfull Honda teams in touring car racing from Scandinavia - Denmark-based Hartmann Racing and Sweden’s Engström Motorsport - have joined forces for the 2010 FIA European Touring Car Cup.
"We know each other very well from the last three years, as both teams have taken part in the European Touring Car Cup, which we won last year. We have been discussing ways of co-operating and now it is a reality," team owner Hans Hartmann of Hartmann Racing said.
"I am looking forward to working with Hans and the guys from his team, as they have given a good impression of themselves, when we have been fighting in the European finals over the last three seasons," Tomas Engström said.
The Swede will be at the wheel of one of the team’s two Honda Accord cars alongside the reigning European Touring Car Champion James Thompson in the three events of the FIA ETCC and also in selected events of the FIA World Touring Car Championship.


Tomas Engström and Hans Hartmann have sealed their deal

www.fiawtcc.com