[WTCC] Race 11 & 12 - Estoril (POR), 12/13 July 2008 - 10-Tenths Motorsport Forum

**FIRE** · 26 Jun 2008, 18:02

Event schedule
11/07 Test 16:00
12/07 Free Practice 1 09:30
12/07 Free Practice 2 12:00
12/07 Qualifying 16:00
13/07 Warm Up 10:30
13/07 Race 1 14:20
13/07 Race 2 18:20

Quote:

POULSEN TO MAKE WTCC DEBUT

Danish racing driver Kristian Poulsen will make his WTCC debut in the next meeting at Estoril. Poulsen, 32-year old from Flensborg, will be at the wheel of a BMW 320si car run by his own team Poulsen Motorsport; it is the same machine he normally drives in the Danish Touring Car Championship.

A former rally driver, Poulsen switched to racing only at the beginning of the 2007 season; however, he quickly established himself and his own team in the national Touring Car championship. During the past season he entered two BMW cars, for himself and former DTM ace Kurt Thiim, who claimed two victories. At the end of the year, Poulsen took part in the FIA European Touring Car Cup at Adria, achieving a brilliant third place in the Super 2000 class.
For the current season, the team has signed the reigning Danish champion and winner of the FIA European Cup Michel Nykjær, former Danish champion Jesper Sylvest and former WTCC regular Emmet O'Brien alongside Poulsen.
Poulsen's participation in the Portuguese event is only the first one that has been planned to pave the team's approach to a full commitment in next year's WTCC; further participations at Brands Hatch and Oschersleben will follow.

Source: WTCC pr

**FIRE** · 28 Jun 2008, 09:37

Quote:

THOMPSON FASTEST IN MONZA TEST
For the first time since they joined the championship, James Thompson

For the first time since they joined the championship, James Thompson and his N.technology Honda Accord Euro R set the WTCC pace.

"We had a very good day," said Thompson. "We didn't carry out as many laps as other teams because we were making big changes on the car between the runs but it was worth it. We take this result as a good representation of the progress we're making. Step-by-step we will be back at the level we are used to competing at."

During yesterday's official test session in Monza, the last of the four scheduled for the season, Thompson clocked a fastest lap of 2:00.918, posted during the morning session of a hot Italian Summer day, with temperatures in the high 30s C.

Front wheel-drive cars emerged as the fastest along the Autodromo. Tom Coronel and his SUNRED petrol-powered SEAT León set the best lap in the afternoon; however, the Dutchman's 2:00.940 remained 0.022 seconds off Thompson's best.

Chevrolet's Alain Menu completed a lap of 2:00.946, only a further four thousandths of a second adrift. Andy Priaulx was the best of the BMW men, setting the fourth fastest lap of 2:01.214, just ahead of Jordi Gené (2:01.298) in the best of the SEAT León TDI cars.

Sixteen drivers took part in the test, with 13 of them covered by the same second.

In the afternoon, Turkish driver Aytaç Biter, a former runner up in the national Formula 3 championship, replaced his fellow countryman Ibrahim Okyay at the wheel of the Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport BMW car. Biter is due to drive the team's second car in the WTCC events at Brands Hatch and Oschersleben.

Source: WTCC pr

Les · 29 Jun 2008, 20:04

I hope Tom Boardman has a great time out there...

kristof14 · 4 Jul 2008, 21:06

Have just spoken to Farfus in Manchester, he's seems very confident of success.

andy_b · 9 Jul 2008, 01:25

The WTCC Spotters Guide will finally make its debut (only a few months late LOL!) later this week

**FIRE** · 9 Jul 2008, 09:37

New entry at Oschersleben, Imola and Monza:

Quote:

BULGARIAN DRIVER AND TEAM JOIN WTCC
25-year old George Tanev and Petrol GT Racing Team will be the first Bulgarian driver and team to compete in an FIA World Championship.

Tanev, the current leader of the Bulgarian Touring Car Championship, will take part in the WTCC race meeting at Oschersleben at the wheel of a BMW 320si car run by the Petrol GT Racing Team.

The German machine is a former BMW Team Italy-Spain test car that Tanev drove it for the first time last week in Adria, benefiting from technical support provided by the ROAL Motorsport personnel. His lap times were encouraging, especially considering that he had never driven rear-wheel drive cars before.

The team have planned to join the WTCC again in Imola and Monza during the current season.

Source: WTCC pr

werner · 9 Jul 2008, 11:14

I googled a bit, and i found that Tanev is also be a quite good rallydriver. In 2006 he finisched 2nd in the group N rally of Corsica for instance, and he regularly finisched on the podium in the Bulgarian championship.

**FIRE** · 9 Jul 2008, 18:48

According TouringCarTimes Tanev will drive at Estoril, but the WTCC press release didn't mention Estoril. Mistake from TCT?

**FIRE** · 9 Jul 2008, 19:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by werner

I googled a bit, and i found that Tanev is also be a quite good rallydriver. In 2006 he finisched 2nd in the group N rally of Corsica for instance, and he regularly finisched on the podium in the Bulgarian championship.

That's promising.

Bulgarian touring car championship is mixture of several classes? Which circuits?

EDIT: Here's a video clip of a "BTCC" race at Rousse (Tanev in the blue Subaru). Looks more like rallycross on tarmac. Reminds me also on the road courses of the Serbian championship we talked about on this forum earlier.

BTW I see safety is also a hot item in Bulgaria...

redshoes · 10 Jul 2008, 12:42

Just when you thought we hadn't had a base weight adjustment for a while...

Petrol powered SEATs (SUNRED / Engineering) have now got a 15kg reduction in base weight, will be 1125kg including driver.

andy_b · 10 Jul 2008, 15:20

WTCC guide now online HERE

( yes I know Menu has lost his spoiler....next time eh)

**FIRE** · 11 Jul 2008, 17:39

Results testing

Coronel has a new engine.

Sodemo · 12 Jul 2008, 09:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE

That's promising.

Bulgarian touring car championship is mixture of several classes? Which circuits?

EDIT: Here's a video clip of a "BTCC" race at Rousse (Tanev in the blue Subaru). Looks more like rallycross on tarmac. Reminds me also on the road courses of the Serbian championship we talked about on this forum earlier.

BTW I see safety is also a hot item in Bulgaria...

Gotta love those safety standards, the FIA would have kittens...