2009 FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP Entry List

Veröffentlicht am 24.2.2009 von Wolfgang

N° TEAM DRIVER CAR

1 SEAT Sport Yvan Muller (FRA) SEAT León 2.0 TDI

2 SEAT Sport Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) SEAT León 2.0 TDI

3 SEAT Sport Rickard Rydell (SWE) SEAT León 2.0 TDI

4 SEAT Sport Jordi Gené (ESP) SEAT León 2.0 TDI

5 SEAT Sport Tiago Monteiro (POR) SEAT León 2.0 TDI

6 BMW Team UK Andy Priaulx (GBR) BMW 320si

7 BMW Team Germany Jörg Müller (GER) BMW 320si

8 BMW Team Germany Augusto Farfus (BRA) BMW 320si

9 BMW Team Italy-Spain Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) BMW 320si

10 BMW Team Italy-Spain Sergio Hernández (ESP) BMW 320si

11 Chevrolet Robert Huff (GBR) Chevrolet Cruze **

12 Chevrolet Alain Menu (SUI) Chevrolet Cruze **

14 Chevrolet Nicola Larini (ITA) Chevrolet Cruze **

15* Campos Racing Antonio García (ESP) Honda Accord Euro R

18 LADA Sport Jaap van Lagen (NED) Lada 110 2.0

19 LADA Sport Kirill Ladygin (RUS) Lada 110 2.0

20 LADA Sport Viktor Shapovalov (RUS) Lada 110 2.0

21 SUNRED Engineering Tom Coronel (NED) SEAT León 2.0 TFSI

22 SUNRED Engineering Tom Boardman (GBR) SEAT León 2.0 TFSI

23 Scuderia Proteam Motorsport Félix Porteiro (ESP) BMW 320si

24 Scuderia Proteam Motorsport George Tanev (BUL) BMW 320si

25 Liqui Moly Team Engstler Franz Engstler (GER) BMW 320si

26 Liqui Moly Team Engstler Kristian Poulsen (DEN) BMW 320si

27 Wiechers-Sport Stefano D’Aste (ITA) BMW 320si

28 Čolak Racing Team Ingra Marin Čolak (CRO) SEAT León 2.0 TFSI

29° SUNRED Engineering TBA SEAT León 2.0 TFSI

www.fiawtcc.com

Luc Alphand Aventures is back in his kingdom!

Veröffentlicht am 23.2.2009 von Wolfgang

After an exceptional 2008 season -five podiums and two victories in five races – the LMGT1 title winner is back in the race.

With his good friend Patrice Goueslard and a third driver to be confirmed, the eponymous team of the skiing champion will take part in the full season, starting at the 1000 Km of Barcelona, on April 3rd, 4th and 5th.

The French team’s car will complete an already very diversified and promising category: Saleen, Lamborghini and Ferrari will have to fight against the Luc Alphand Aventures‘ Corvette C6.R. We can be sure that they will have to beware of this competitor…

www.lemans-series.com.

ENTREGA DE TROFEOS: KARTING MAGALUF TROFEO SUPER GO KART 2008

Veröffentlicht am 21.2.2009 von Wolfgang

CLASIFICACIONES:

http://www.kartingmagaluf.com/html/competiciones-clasificaciones.php?lang=es&comp=1

Picture by Wolfgang LINDNER

Briton Tom Gladdis becomes youngest driver in 2009 F2 line-up

Veröffentlicht am 21.2.2009 von Wolfgang

17-year-old returns to Europe after successful campaign in America

Tom Gladdis has secured the penultimate place in the 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship and becomes the series’ youngest driver.

British driver Gladdis is due to celebrate his 18^th birthday next week, and he joins Formula Two after finishing sixth in the Star Mazda Championship in North America. Gladdis took one victory, two pole positions and three podiums in just 10 races, having skipped two rounds of the championship through being too young to compete.

Gladdis, who was born on the Isle of Wight but now resides in Gibraltar, only began his racing career in 2007 when he was awarded a Formula BMW UK scholarship following a track test evaluation. This gave Gladdis the chance to compete in the Formula BMW World Final in Valencia – a race that was eventually won by fellow F2 driver Philipp Eng.

Tom Gladdis said: “F2 is just so appealing – it’s cost effective, high profile and a high level of commitment has been shown by both the FIA and MotorSport Vision. The level of driver talent is huge and it is going to be a challenging campaign, but you can learn so much by racing against tough opposition. This may well be a two year programme for me but the thought of winning a Formula One test will only make me push harder! I’m particularly looking forward to competing at Spa-Francorchamps for the first time as it is a circuit at which I have always dreamt of racing.”

Jonathan Palmer, Chief Executive of championship organiser MotorSport Vision, said: “Tom has had a rapid rise through the ranks following his discovery by BMW in late 2006, and despite his lack of experience he was a genuine contender for the Star Mazda Championship in only his second season of racing. Whilst F2 is a considerable step up for Tom, there’s no doubting that he is a very talented young driver, and there’s every chance he could be one of the surprise packages of the 2009 season.”

www.formulatwo.com

SKODA ACE KOPECKY TIPS VOUILLOZ TO WIN IN BRAZIL

Veröffentlicht am 21.2.2009 von Wolfgang

KOPECKY TIPS VOUILLOZ TO WIN IN BRAZIL … AND ALL THE OTHER LATEST NEWS FROM THE IRC
Jan Kopecky has tipped defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion, Nicolas Vouilloz, to win the next round of the series in Brazil on March 5-7.
Czech Republic star Kopecky will skip the Rally de Curitiba because it’s not part of his Skoda team’s six-event schedule. But he reckons Vouilloz, who failed to score on the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally last month when he broke his Peugeot 207’s suspension sliding into a ditch, will bounce back from that disappointment and claim all ten drivers‘ championship points in South America.
"He will be trying to do his best after Monte Carlo and I believe he will win this rally," said the 27-year-old Kopecky. "This guy is really amazing, very nice but also very, very fast."
Kopecky competed against Vouilloz on four rounds of the IRC in 2008 and beat him to third place on the Rally of Portugal last May.
"Not only is Nicolas a very good driver," Kopecky continued, "but he doesn’t make so many mistakes. Monte Carlo was the first rally where I had seen him go off. He’s very professional and will come back."
Vouilloz, who turned 33 earlier this month, will drive one of three Peugeot 207 Super 2000s prepared by the Belgian Kronos Racing squad in Brazil. He will be co-driven by fellow Frenchman Nicolas Klinger.
LIGATO TARGETS POINTS FOR MITSUBISHI
Mitsubishi’s chances of claiming a strong haul of manufacturers‘ points on the Rally de Curitiba have improved after rapid Argentine Marcos Ligato entered the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier next month.
The Japanese make is fourth in the standings after the Monte Carlo Rally but could move up to third in the table at the expense of the factory Skoda squad, which is missing the trip to South America.
Ligato, who was a regular in the Production Car World Rally Championship for ten seasons, won the event, when it was named the Graciosa Rally, in 2000. He will compete again this year albeit at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer E10, the Japanese firm’s latest generation rally car.
"Marcos has a good chance of challenging the IRC regulars," the event organisers said. "He has the experience of competing all over the world and he is familiar with this rally."
The 31-year-old will team-up with regular navigator Ruben Garcia, who has partnered him for most of his professional career, including the 2001 Safari Rally, when they placed seventh overall. The Safari Rally is the next event on the IRC schedule after Rally de Curitiba.
Mitsubishi will also be represented by Brazilian championship runner-up, Oswald Scheer, who will be competing in a Mitsubishi Lancer E9 alongside co-driver Gilson Rocha.
LOIX WILL TRADE OUTRIGHT PACE WITH CAUTION IN BRAZIL
Freddy Loix has admitted he won’t drive flat-out to win the Rally de Curitiba in Brazil next month.
The 38-year-old Peugeot 207 Super 2000 pilot finished second on the Monte Carlo Rally last month and could move to the top of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge drivers‘ standings with a strong result in South America.
However, he has vowed to be cautious in order to ensure he reaches the finish of the event, which will appear on the IRC schedule for the first time this year.
"This kind of rally suits my driving style because the stages are quite fast with some crests and that’s what I like," Loix said. "I can see the rally being a bit like a sprint because the stages are quite short. But my target will be to take it steady. There are six Super 2000 cars competing and it’s important to be in one of the top places at the finish."
Loix said he will also be taking into account the fact he hasn’t contested a gravel event for eight months.
"I want to show that I can be quick but my last gravel event was in Russia last July where I finished fourth," the Belgian said. "Because I have not driven on gravel for a very long time it will take me some time to find a good rhythm and it’s important not to take too many risks."
TEAMS ARE GIVEN AN EARLY GLIMPSE OF THE CURITIBA STAGES
Crews competing on the Rally de Curitiba in Brazil on March 5-7 have been given a sneak preview of the stages that will make up the second round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
They have each been sent a DVD of on-board footage filmed from a car driving through the seven different venues.
Freddy Loix, who is second in the IRC standings following the first event of the season, January’s Monte Carlo Rally, said: "It looks like it’s going to be a nice rally. The stages are quite quick and from looking at the DVD there will be lots of crests."
Meanwhile, Kris Meeke, the British ace who will compete at the wheel of a Peugeot UK-backed 207 Super 2000, likened the roads to Italy’s round of the World Rally Championship. "They’re a bit like the roads in Sardinia, quite smooth and fast," he said.
Among the most demanding stages is the Bocaiuva test, which is 28 kilometres in length and features 400 curves on undulating roads. It is scheduled for the second day of the two-day rally.
The Rally de Curitiba will be made up of 13 special stages totalling more than 220 kilometres. The event is due to finish at the Autodromo Internacional de Curitiba, the city’s racing circuit, on Saturday March 7, one hour before the start of qualifying for the World Touring Car Championship round the following day.
FANS COME FIRST ON REVAMPED YPRES RALLY
Fans attending the Ypres Westhoek Rally in Belgium will be able to take advantage of several new initiatives when the Intercontinental Rally Challenge heads to the historic Belgian town from June 19-21.
Organisers are creating several spectator zones to provide improved viewing opportunities for members of the public on special selected special stages. They will also erect enhanced signage to give fans better guidance when travelling to the stages.
In addition, the amount of space available in the service area in the market square in Ypres will be extended, with the intention of giving more members of the public a chance to view the competing cars close-up while their teams are working on them.
The challenge for the competitors will be increased with several stages set to undergo modifications to make them more technical and even faster. The route could also a stage across over the border in France.
Rally manager Alain Penasse said: "The growing success of the IRC has attracted more manufacturers and sponsors to the Ypres Rally. If we combine this with our changes I am confident the 2009 event will be one of the best. It will be an event you will not want to miss and I am really looking forward to this challenge."

Reigning IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz has been tipped as a potential winner of the Curitiba Rally

www.rally-irc.com.

ATARI LAUNCH RACE PRO FOR XBOX 360

Veröffentlicht am 21.2.2009 von Wolfgang

Atari announced today that RACE Pro has reached the retail stores.
Developed by renowned award-winning game developer SimBin, a leading creator of PC racing simulators, RACE Pro brings SimBin’s formidable skill and know-how exclusively to the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for the very first time.
"Atari is committed to working with the industry’s finest developers, and SimBin is at the top of the game when it comes to racing simulations. RACE Pro is the first time SimBin has brought its incredible expertise to console and we’re proud to be launching it with them," said Phil Harrison, President of Infogrames, the parent company of Atari. "RACE Pro is the most realistic racing game available on console, and is accessible to newcomers while having the depth to satisfy the most demanding petrol-head."
RACE Pro is exclusively bringing all the WTCC cars from manufacturers BMW, Chevrolet and SEAT to Xbox 360 for the very first time. Gamers and racing fans will experience the thrill of racing these powerful cars on 13 real life tracks covering all continents.

Virtual WTCC cars in action at Macau on Race Pro

PROTEAM WITH PORTEIRO AND TANEV
Proteam Motorsport is eager to defend their 2008 title in the WTCC Independent Team’s Trophy. With this goal in mind, the outfit directed by Valmiro Presenzini has signed two young and competitive drivers for the new season: Félix Porteiro and George Tanev.
Porteiro, 25-year old from Spain, faces his third year in the World Touring Car Championship. In the two previous seasons he drove for BMW Team Italy-Spain, collecting two race wins (Brno 2007 and Oschersleben 2008) and being classified 12^th and 10^th respectively in the Drivers‘ Championship.
Tanev, 25-year old Bulgarian, made his first appearances in the series last year, taking part in a few events at the wheel of a BMW car run by the Petrol GT Racing Team, before joining Proteam Motorsport for the final race meeting in Macau.
"We are still in negotiations with a few other drivers, as we aim for running a third car," Team Owner Presenzini said.

TEAM ENGSTLER AIM FOR INDEPENDENTS‘ CROWN
The Liqui Moly Team Engstler have launched their second season in the FIA WTCC.
Team owner Franz Engstler, runner up in last year’s WTCC Independents‘ Trophy, was joined by Kristian Poulsen who took part in some selected events during the 2008 season.
"I am glad that Kristian joined us. We understand each other very well and I’m sure we can mutually support ourselves," said Engstler
After a successful maiden season, the team is now aiming for claiming the Independents‘ crown: "The pressure is growing after the good results we achieved in 2008. However, there are so many factors which make a team successful, and the field of the competitors is so strong that we know we’ll have to fight hard to succeed," team manager Kurt Treml commented.

www.fiawtcc.com.

Michael Vergers, the new Virgo Motorsport’s spearhead

Veröffentlicht am 21.2.2009 von Wolfgang

This is the news of the day: Michael Vergers, the Dutch driver who drove the Barazi Epsilon’s LMP2 in 2008, will be the spearhead of the Virgo Motosport team this season.

It should be remembered that this team, of which Ferrari F430 GT has been entered for the full 2009 season, was the 2008 LMGT2 winner. Indeed, Virgo Motorsport won 4 of the 5 races: it was only absent of the Italian podium, in Monza.

Michael Vergers will of course take part to the Official Testing session on the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit, with Michael and Sean McInerney as co-drivers. Virgo is one of the 12 LMGT2 teams which will participate to this test session on next March 8 & 9.

www.lemans-series.com.

OFFICIAL LE MANS SERIES TEST

Veröffentlicht am 19.2.2009 von Wolfgang

Antworten

OFFICIAL LE MANS SERIES TEST: ATTEND THE SEASON PREVIEW, NOW YOU CAN!

A première in both the Le Mans Series and Paul Ricard HTTT circuit history: the traditional endurance Official Testing session is open to the public! Only to some happy few since 4 000 places only are available in a brand new grandstand to discover in advance the first laps of the … brand new Aston Martin LMP1, but also support Oreca’s Courages, Oak Racing LMP2 Pescarolos or the GTs such as Lamborghinis Murcielago, Ferraris F430, Aston Martins Vantage GT…

All these motor racing stars and their drivers will gauge themselves and the adversity, firstly Aston with its six official pilots. There will also be endurance racing big names and some rookies who already think big such as for instance Leo Mansell and Nicolas Prost…

www.lemans-series.com

DTM-Präsentation 2009 erneut in Düsseldorf

Veröffentlicht am 19.2.2009 von Wolfgang

Antworten

Wiesbaden/Düsseldorf. Bereits zum vierten Mal feiert die DTM ihren Auftakt in die neue Saison in der NRW-Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf: Die populärste internationale Tourenwagenserie präsentiert sich am Sonntag, den 19. April 2009 auf der exklusiven Düsseldorfer Königsallee. „Die Saisoneröffnung in der Sportstadt Düsseldorf war in den vergangenen drei Jahren immer eines der Highlights im DTM-Kalender“, so Hans Werner Aufrecht, Vorsitzender des DTM-Rechteinhabers und -Vermarkters ITR e.V. „Wir werden alles daran setzen, den Zuschauern wieder ein einmaliges Erlebnis in einer familiären Atmosphäre darzubieten.“ Auch Düsseldorfs Oberbürgermeister Dirk Elbers freut sich auf die Veranstaltung in seiner Heimatstadt: „Die Motorsportwelt wird an diesem Tag nach Düsseldorf schauen. Die Landeshauptstadt wird sich auch bei der vierten Auflage der DTM-Show auf der Kö als guter Gastgeber präsentieren."
Seit vier Jahren arbeitet der ITR e.V. erfolgreich mit der sportAgentur Düsseldorf als Organisationspartner zusammen und bietet den Fans nach langer Winterpause erneut ein buntes und abwechslungsreiches Programm, das einen Vorgeschmack auf eine spannende Saison 2009 liefert. Zwischen 13 und 18 Uhr können die Zuschauer hautnah alle DTM-Fahrer wie beispielsweise Champion Timo Scheider (Audi), Rennfahrerin Susie Stoddart (Mercedes-Benz), den achtfachen Le-Mans-Gewinner Tom Kristensen (Audi) oder Mercedes-Benz-Pilot Ralf Schumacher in Interviews, Autogrammstunden und Meet&Greets im offenen DTM-Fahrerlager erleben. Auch auf dem eigens dafür aufgebauten Rundkurs dürfen sich die Fans wieder auf Motorsport zum Anfassen freuen: Neben spektakulären Demonstrationsfahrten der DTM-Boliden stehen Boxenstopp-Wettbewerbe, Stunt-Shows und die legendäre Startfeldpräsentation auf dem Programm. Auch die Fahrzeuge der Rahmenserien Formel 3 Euro Serie, ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup, Porsche Carrera Cup und Seat Leon Supercopa werden zum Greifen nah sein und für Rennatmosphäre sorgen.
Im letzten Jahr waren über 200.000 begeisterte Besucher angereist, um die Motorsportler und ihre Rennfahrzeuge aus nächster Nähe zu erleben. Der Eintritt zur DTM-Präsentation ist wie in den vergangenen Jahren kostenfrei. Alle Informationen zur Veranstaltung gibt es auf der offiziellen Homepage der DTM www.dtm.com und unter www.sportstadt-duesseldorf.de.

www.dtm.com

Henri Karjalainen joins Formula Two

Veröffentlicht am 18.2.2009 von Wolfgang

Finn aiming to follow Keke Rosberg from F2 into Formula One

Finnish driver Henri Karjalainen has become the latest name to sign up for the 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship as he bids to follow in fellow countryman Keke Rosberg’s tracks from F2 into Formula One.

22-year-old Henri has already experienced success in three continents having raced in Europe, Asia and North America during the last four years. He joins Formula Two after finishing runner-up in the 2007 Formula 3 Asia Pacific Championship, taking five wins and five podiums from the 13 races he contested, before progressing into the Formula Atlantic Championship for 2008.

Karjalainen has also competed in GP2, having been invited to replace fellow Finn Markus Niemelä for the Turkish round of the 2007 championship following a string of impressive results in the 2006 Asian Formula Renault Challenge. Henri scored one victory and three podiums for the Asia Racing Team, whilst he also competed in five Formula 3 Asia races during the same season.

Henri Karjalainen said: “Formula Two is a fantastic opportunity for me, and I’m delighted to have signed up to compete in 2009. F2 has a great history, and now the 2009 championship has the backing of the FIA, so it has real pedigree. For me F2 represents the best chance to progress into Formula One, which has always been my ambition. Keke Rosberg graduated from Formula Two into F1, and I will be trying my utmost to follow in his tracks.

“The championship itself is a great package – not only is it much cheaper than other series, but the prize of a test drive with Williams is a huge draw and I think that’s been reflected in how strong a driver line up F2 has. Of course I’m looking to win races, but the Williams test is a huge incentive and I’m sure everyone will be pushing hard. It’s going to be really exciting, especially as the cars are all equal and so it will all come down to the drivers.”

Jonathan Palmer, Chief Executive of championship organiser MotorSport Vision, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Henri to Formula Two. I had the privilege of racing against Keke Rosberg – who became the first Finn to reach Formula One – in the mid-1980s, and he was sensationally fast. It would be fantastic if Henri could follow Keke’s example and progress from Formula Two into F1; certainly he faces some extremely tough competition, but Henri is one of Finland’s outstanding young drivers and we’re delighted to have him in F2.”

www.formulatwo.com

Bewährte Kombination bei VAR

Veröffentlicht am 16.2.2009 von Wolfgang

Antworten

VAR startet mit Volkswagen-Motoren

Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR) ist sicherlich zum Favoritenkreis der Saison 2009 im ATS Formel-3-Cup zu zählen. Nach dem erfolgreichen Debüt im Vorjahr mit Volkswagen als Motorenpartner startet das niederländische Team erneut mit 2-Liter-Aggregaten aus Wolfsburg. Die beiden Dallara F307 Volkswagen werden von Laurens Vanthoor (Belgien) und Stef Dusseldorp (Niederlande) besetzt.
Zwei Siege und sechs zweite Plätze, so lautet die Bilanz von Laurens Vanthoor in dessen allerersten Jahr im Automobilsport. Drei Trainingsbestzeiten und zwei schnellste Rennrunden kennzeichnen zudem die Debütsaison des Gymnasiasten im ATS Formel-3-Cup 2008 ab. Vanthoor zählt ganz sicher zu den richtig großen Talenten mit besten Chancen auf eine großartige Karriere im Motorsport, zumal er erst kurz vor seinem 18. Geburtstag steht.
„Ich weiß, dass man eine Menge von mir erwartet. Doch den Druck mache ich mir schon selber. Nach den vielen zweiten Plätzen im Vorjahr folgten am Saisonende auch die Siege. Jetzt will ich von Anfang an vorne dabei sein und um den Titel kämpfen. Das Paket stimmt – ich habe großes Vertrauen in mein Team und bin von der Leistung des Volkswagen Motors überzeugt“, so Vanthoor.
Während Laurens Vanthoor seine zweite Saison im ATS Formel-3-Cup bestreitet und nach den vorjährigen Erfolgen nun zum engsten Favoritenkreis zählt, tritt sein Teamkollege Stef Dusseldorp als Rookie an: „Es wird ein großer Schritt für mich, doch ich bin sicher, dass der ATS Formel-3-Cup die besten Chancen bietet, in den internationalen Motorsport aufzusteigen.“ Der 19-Jährige aus dem niederländischen Lichtenvoorde hat bei seinem Formel-3-Debüt einen entscheidenden Vorteil: Dusseldorp kennt das Team seines Landsmannes Frits van Amersfoort aus zwei Jahren in der Formel Renault – 2007 belegte er meist Plätze im Mittelfeld, während er 2008 in der Regel in den Top Ten zu finden war.
Wie Laurens Vanthoor aus der Nähe der belgischen Rennstrecke Zolder, der zwischen 2001 und 2007 im Kart antrat, kommt auch Stef Dusseldorp aus dem Kartsport. „Dies sind noch immer die besten Voraussetzungen für eine erfolgreiche Karriere im Formelsport. Somit haben wir im ATS Formel-3-Cup 2009 ideale Chancen, mit einem erfahrenen und nachweislich schnellen Formel-3-Piloten und einem viel versprechenden Neuling“, schätzt Frits van Amersfoort seine beiden Piloten ein.
„Die Unterstützung junger Talente hat traditionell einen hohen Stellenwert bei Volkswagen, deshalb freuen wir uns mit Van Amersfoort Racing und dem Neuzugang Performance Racing zwei starke Partner im ATS Formel-3-Cup zu haben“, erklärt Volkswagen Motorsport-Direktor Kris Nissen.

www.formel3.de

Hülkenberg king of Qatar

Veröffentlicht am 15.2.2009 von Wolfgang

Nico Hülkenberg wins an exciting Qatar night race ahead of both Barwa International Campos Team men
The ART Grand Prix racer displayed a brilliant performance tonight in the first-ever GP2 Asia night feature race at the Losail International Circuit to claim a maiden GP2 victory.
However, things did not start so well for Nico Hülkenberg who lost his pole position advantage to Sergio Perez at the start. Further behind the grid, Sakon Yamamoto stalled from sixth and was hit hard by Yelmer Buurman. Rodolfo Gonzalez was also caught in the accident, but fortunately, none of them were injured.
The Safety Car stayed on track for the next five laps even coming through the pitlane in order to let the marshals clean the debris. Vitaly Petrov, then third, was the first of the top drivers to pit on lap 10 and this strategy allowed him to pass his teammate after the latter rejoined the track from his own mandatory pitstop a few laps later.
Almost all the drivers chose to pit early, but one man stayed on track: Nico Hülkenberg took the lead and managed to preserve his tyres all the while matching the pace of those who had already pitted. He pulled away and extended his lead to over 40 seconds. That was enough time to come into the pits, change his left tyres and rejoin the circuit ahead of Perez who earlier had gone past Petrov in a strong move at the end of Turn 1. Hülkenberg claimed victory a clear 13 seconds ahead of Perez. With Petrov finishing third, Barwa International Campos Team had a great result which allowed them to close the gap on team leaders Dams.
Behind the Top 3, Championship leader Kamui Kobayashi finished fourth although his pace was surprisingly slower than what he normally displays. He regained speed in the latest stages, but could not get close enough to Petrov. His teammate, Jérôme d’Ambrosio, finished fifth having fought long and hard with Davide Valsecchi for that position. The Italian, second in the drivers’ championship was followed by Edoardo Mortara and Luiz Razia. Tomorrow’s reversed grid will be an all-Arden front row.

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

ALEX PALERM PRIMERA PRUEBA DEL CAMPEONATO DE CATALUÑA DE KARTING

Veröffentlicht am 15.2.2009 von Wolfgang

DURA LUCHA Y REMONTADA
En la jornada de ayer sábado el equipo de Alex Palerm se encontró con una
sorpresa que les trajo de cabeza para poder poner a punto el kart. Un cambio
de última hora en la reglamentación de neumáticos hacía cambiar las gomas a
todos los participantes por unas de mayor diámetro, lo que hizo reajustar
los chasis de los karts para buscar el rendimiento óptimo con estos nuevos
neumáticos.
En las primeras tandas de entrenamientos no se pudo conseguir afinar el
motor y los cambios de chasis para adecuarse a los nuevos neumáticos
ocuparon la mayor parte del tiempo de entrenamientos.
En los cronos Alex se clasificaba para la carrera en la posición 20, algo
retrasado pero consciente de que su máquina no estaba dando todo lo que
podría dar. Los mecánicos de MDC Racing trabajon duro tras los cronos para
poder sacar más rendimiento al Kart de Palerm y en las siguientes tandas de
entrenamiento se vio el resultado, con una puesta a punto perfecta, Palerm
salía con el objetivo de remontar todos los puestos posibles.
En la mañana de hoy domingo, la primera carrera ha sido un reflejo del
trabajo realizado, partiendo desde el puesto 20 de parrilla, Palerm lograba
remontar hasta el puesto 9 y rodando en tiempos de la cabeza de carrera todo
hacía suponer que podría seguir su imparable remontada, pero un participante
golpeaba el kart de Palerm sacándolo de la pista y al reincorporarse a pista
rompía la cadena y quedaba fuera.
La segunda manga sería mucho más difícil, partiendo desde el puesto 34 por
no haber concluido la primera carrera, la rabia de Alex Palerm ha salido
vuelta tras vuelta, adelantando en cada giro a sus rivales, Palerm se ha
colocado en un meritorio puesto 14 y rodando nuevamente en unos tiempos de
cabeza de carrera pero con el gran hándicap del tráfico de otros 33
participantes en pista.
Un fin de semana positivo para ver el nivel de esta temporada y muy positivo
para ver las posibilidades reales que tiene Alex Palerm para luchar por los
primeros puestos del Campeonato de Cataluña.

Diabolo Karting Team   Alex Palerm piloto Cadete de Karting
16 de Julio, 34    07009 Palma de Mallorca
Tel. +34 971 291 321     M. +34 616 99 26 87
prensa@alexpalerm.com             http://www.alexpalerm.com

FIA WTCC NEWS

Veröffentlicht am 15.2.2009 von Wolfgang

MARRAKECH: WORS ARE ON SCHEDULE
The works for building the Marrakech street circuit that will host the third WTCC meeting on May 3^rd go on according to schedule. Everything will be finished by the mid of April, in time for the FIA final inspection.
Aly Horma, president of the event promoter MGP, explained: "We have already built 1,300 4-metre concrete blocks out of the 2,600 needed for the impact walls. We have received 10 km of F1-standard grid fences from South Africa. We are finishing rebuilding the 4.6 km of public road that make the track; we had to dig into the ground for 1.2 metres to rebuild the foundations that were not strong enough for the racing cars."
At the same time the 12-hectar paddock is also taking shape. "The materials for the 3,000sqm pit building are already here: steel frames from South Africa, steel pillars from Germany, glass and wood from Australia. It will be 200m long and will host 30 garages of 60sqm each, the three-floor race control tower, offices and 65 suites. It will be assembled in 45 days between March and April. Twenty temporary structures will be erected, including the media and medical centres, five footbridges and grandstands with 11,500 seats, and everything will be dismantled after the race day," said Horma.

Works progress in Marrakech in view of the WTCC Race of Morocco

LADA SPORT CONFIRM DRIVERS
The LADA Sport team have confirmed their three drivers for the 2009 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Jaap van Lagen, 32-year old from the Netherlands and the Russians Kirill Ladygin (30) and Viktor Shapovalov (44), who took part in last year’s championship, will start the new season in Curitiba at the wheel of the same LADA 110 cars they drove in 2008.
The team, which is backed by LADA Avtovaz – the first Russian car manufacturer to commit to an FIA world championship – plan to switch to the new Priora car halfway through the season. Two units of LADA’s new model are due to make their first appearance in Brno (June 21^st) or Porto (July 5^th).

SEAT SPORT’S LAST TEST IN BARCELONA
Yvan Muller and SEAT Sport are ready to defend the World Touring Car Championship Drivers‘ and Manufacturers‘ titles they have claimed in 2008. Yesterday the team completed their testing programme in view of the season’s opening meeting at Curitiba.
After having tested at Estoril and Valencia, SEAT Sport spent two days at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, where the new livery of the León TDI cars was also unveiled.
During this last test the team paid special attention to the suspension setting and adjustments.
Xavi Serra, SEAT Sport’s head engineer commented: "Test sessions give us the chance to try out technical solutions that can’t be tested on a race weekend. The work and information shared by the drivers are vital for the first races, as they help us to decide the basic set-up we will use in Brazil."

Yvan Muller’s SEAT León TDI sports the number 1

COLAK TO DRIVE PETROL SEAT
Croatian youngster Marin Colak will compete in the full season of the FIA World Touring Car Championship at the wheel of a petrol-powered SEAT León car run by the Colak Racing Team.
The 24-year old from Zagreb is not a new face in the WTCC paddock; last year he was a regular competitor in the SEAT León Eurocup and, following his victory in the Brands Hatch round, he was awarded with the participation in the WTCC event at Oschersleben. Driving a SUNRED-run León, Colak put in a consistent performance finishing the first race in 13^th position overall and third in the Independents‘ Trophy. At the end of the season he classified second in the SEAT Eurocup with two race wins.
After Tom Boardman, Colak is the second SEAT Eurocup driver who decided to move to WTCC.

www.fiawtcc.com.

NIKI LAUDA wird 60 Herzlichen Glückwunsch.

Veröffentlicht am 15.2.2009 von Wolfgang

Claudia Stöckl, Thomas Geierspichler und Niki Lauda. (Bild: Hitradio Ö3)

Lauda & Geierspichler in "Frühstück bei mir"

Zu seinem 60. Geburtstag hat sich Niki Lauda eine Begegnung mit Rennrollstuhlfahrer Thomas Geierspichler gewünscht.

Persönlichkeiten ganz persönlich. Jeden Sonntag von 9:00 bis 11:00 Uhr im Hitradio Ö3.

Der eine erlebte einen Crash auf der Rennstrecke, war mehr tot als lebendig, aber hatte Glück gehabt. Der andere ist seit seinem Autounfall querschnittgelähmt und musste sein Glück erst wieder entdecken.
Der Airliner und dreifache Formel-1-Weltmeister stellt dem Sportler des Jahres 2008 Fragen: "Warst Du bei deinem Unfall angeschnallt?" und beide erzählen im Frühstückstalk mit Claudia Stöckl im Hitradio Ö3 von Schicksalsschlägen, Glaubensunterschieden und Drogenerfahrungen. Lauda: "Ich habe einmal einen Joint geraucht und habe im Delirium noch einmal die Nahtoderfahrung nach meinem Feuerunfall erlebt. Da habe ich Drogen nie wieder angerührt."

Thomas Geierspichler, Niki Lauda und Claudia Stöckl. (Bild: Hitradio Ö3)

Tipps für Erfolg und Liebe

Und Lauda, der neben Schwarzenegger weltweit wohl bekannteste Österreicher, gibt dem um 27 Jahre jüngeren Newcomer im österreichischen Sport gute Tipps für Erfolg und Liebe: "Viele Frauen wollen nur deine Berühmtheit, nicht dich."

http://oe3.orf.at/