|
After two American events – at
Curitiba, Brazil and Puebla,
Mexico – the FIA World Touring
Car Championship will resume at
Brno, Czech Republic in two and
a half weeks time. The Czech
racetrack will host rounds 13
and 14, marking the beginning of
the series' second European
phase that will continue in
Turkey and Spain before the
grand finale at Macau.
However,
while
one
victory
and
one
second
place
at
Puebla
may
have
propelled
Alfa
Romeo's
Augusto
Farfus
back
into
the
fight
for
the
world
title,
they
have
also
resulted
in
the
maximum
80
kg
"success
ballast" handicap
the
Brazilian
which
the
youngster
must
carry
throughout
the
next
event
at
Brno.
In
fact
Farfus
will
be
10
kg
heavier
than
any
other
driver,
with
the
new
championship
leader
SEAT
Sport's
James
Thompson,
following
him
in
the
weight
stakes
with
70
kg.
BMW's
title-challenging
duo,
Andy
Priaulx
and
Dirk
Müller
though
are
not
much
lighter,
with
60
and
65
kilos
on
board
respectively.
Farfus'
N.technology Alfa
Romeo
team-mates,
Gianni
Morbidelli
and
Salvatore
Tavano,
will
also both
have
extra
weight
to
lug
around
the Brno
track following
their
successes
in
Mexico,
the
duo
next
up
being
set
to carry,
60
and
35
kilos
respectively.
Behind
them
comes
SEAT's Peter Terting
(35
kg),
with
team
mates Rickard Rydell
(30
kg)
and
then
Gabriele
Tarquini
(30
kg)
following
while
BMW's
Jörg
Müller,
also
has
a
25
kg
penalty.
|
 |
|
Augusto Farfus'
Alfa Romeo team-mates, Gianni Morbidelli and
Salvatore Tavano (above) will both have extra weight
to lug around Brno following their successes in
Mexico, the duo next up carrying, 60 and 35 kilos
respectively. |
|
|
 |
|
Augusto Farfus leads the chasing pack
through the South American heat haze: Now after the two American events – at
Curitiba, Brazil and Puebla,
Mexico – the FIA World Touring
Car Championship will resume at Brno, Czech Republic
in two and a half weeks time. |
|
|
A
total
of
14
drivers
have
been
listed
to
carry
ballast
during
the
Czech
event,
including GR
Asia's
independent
Tom
Coronel,
who
claimed
a
4th
and
a
6th
in
Mexico.
Whilst Brno is a regular venue
for Moto GP and Superbike, the
FIA WTCC race will be the first
car racing world championship
event hosted by the Czech track
in 19 years. The previous was
the sixth round of the…1987
World Touring Car Championship.
On 16 August 1987 Klaus Ludwig
and Klaus Niedzwiedz won the
19th Brno Grand Prix at the
wheel of an Eggenberger
Motorsport Ford Sierra RS500,
beating by a small margin the
sister car drivern by Steve
Soper and Pierre Dieudonné.
Third overall and Division 2
winner was the BMW
M3 driven by Luis Pérez Sala and
Olivier Grouillard.
The Brno Automotodrom is one of
BMW's favourite racetrack. In
recent years, the Czech circuit
has hosted four meetings of the
FIA European Touring Car
Championship, from 2001 to 2004.
Since the introduction of the
current breed of Super 2000
racing cars Alfa Romeo has
claimed two victories
(Giovanardi in 2002), but all
the following four races went to
BMW as Dirk Müller and Andy
Priaulx grabbed one win apiece
in both 2003 and 2004. Priaulx
also holds the fastest race lap,
2:11.903; however the qualifying
record for a Super 2000 cars
belongs to Rickard Rydell and
his SEAT Toledo Cupra: 2:09.913.
|
|
|
|
