Last night Rob Huff and Chevrolet were officially named 2012 FIA World Touring Car champions during the traditional FIA prize giving gala in that took place for the first time at Istanbul.
In the sumptuous setting of the Ciragan Palace, the FIA honoured all its champions in a progression from Karting to Formula One.
The part of the ceremony dedicated to the presentation of the WTCC trophies culminated in an all-Chevrolet podium with the Cruze 1.6T racing car on the background. Alain Menu and Yvan Muller – second and third in the championship respectively – received the runner up trophies, lining on either side of Rob Huff. Then Chevrolet Europe’s Communications Director Vijay Iyer joined them to receive the Manufacturers’ trophy.
Rob Huff was awarded the Drivers’ World Championship trophy for the first time, after he finished twice in third and once in second, while Iyer collected Chevrolet’s third consecutive Manufacturers’ Championship trophy.

JAMES NASH TO DRIVE FOR BAMBOO

James Nash will join Silverstone-based bamboo-engineering to drive one of the team’s Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T car during the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Both Nash and bamboo have been working hard since the close of the 2012 season in Macau to make the deal work.
“I’m delighted to have signed with Bamboo. The Chevrolet is such a strong platform and will give me a chance to show my true potential. Richard Coleman runs a tight ship and we both share the ambition to challenge for the Drivers’ Championship in 2013,” commented Nash, who faces his second season in WTCC after racing a Team Aon Ford Focus in 2012.
“Racing in the WTCC this year has been immense; it’s a fantastic championship and allows me to compete with the best in the world and race on a global stage. I’ve definitely been bitten by the WTCC bug; the racers, the tracks, the countries are all top notch, but now I need to make my mark on the global stage,” said the 26-year old Englishman.
Richard Coleman, Team Principal, bamboo-engineering said: “We’re delighted to have signed James, I’ve been talking to him for many years now and to have finally put pen to paper is great for all of us. We’ve been knocking on the door for a few years now, but with Nash onboard, and his newly gained WTCC experience, he’ll be a challenger this year, 2013 is going to be great.”

TARQUINI AND MONTEIRO AT HONDA THANKS DAY

Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro were the guest stars last week at Twin Ring Motegi, in an event organized by Honda Racing to thank its motorsport fans.
Together with their fellow Honda Super GT drivers and Moto GP riders, Tarquini and Monteiro attended press conferences, talk shows, photo and autograph sessions, meeting media representatives and families with children.
They also completed demonstration drives around the circuit at the wheel of the Honda Civic WTCC car and took part in karting races against the other Honda racers.
The Honda Racing Thanks Day was attended by more than 4500 people in spite of rainy weather.

THE FIA ETCC AT THE ESSEN MOTOR SHOW

The FIA European Touring Car Cup is well represented at the Essen Motor Show, Europe’s first motorsport exhibition that began
last Friday, November 30 and will close on Sunday, December 9.
More than 350,000 visitors are expected at Essen’s fair complex over the nine days.
Five racing cars are on display in the FIA ETCC stand, representing the different categories: Petr Fulín BMW 320si and Peter Rikli’s Honda Civic (Super 2000), Ulrike Kraft’s Ford Fiesta and Zeljoko Markovic’s Citroën C2 (S1600) and Andreas Pfister’s SEAT León Cup (Single Make Trophy).

THE CHEVROLET-VAILLANTE AT BOLOGNA

The Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T car disguised as a Vaillante that Alain Menu/Michel Vaillant drove to victory in the WTCC Race 2 at Portimão is being exhibited at the Bologna Motor Show.
The red-white-blue racing car makes a fine show in the middle of the stand of La Gazzetta dello Sport, to celebrate the publication of a new series of comic books that reprints Michel Vaillant’s old adventures.
The first issue ‘Brivido a Monza’ (‘De l’huile sur la piste’) was distributed Wednesday, December 5 together with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

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