The fourth edition of the FIA European Touring Car Cup, that will take place next week at the Salzburgring, Austria, has already met with a brilliant result: a new record in terms of represented countries.
33 drivers of 15 nationalities have entered the event and they are at the wheel of cars built from 10 different manufacturers (see the final entry list attached).
21 of these competitors will fight for the FIA Super 2000 Cup, 6 for the FIA Super Production Cup and 6 for the new FIA Super 1600 Cup.
GERMANY AND RUSSIA BEST REPRESENTED NATIONS
The National Sporting Authorities (ASN) will compete to succeed Denmark's DASU (Dansk Motor Sports Union) in the roll of honour of the FIA Nations Cup, awarded to the 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 German DMSB and the Russian RAF are the best represented ASN in the event with 7 drivers each.
THREE FORMER WINNERS COME TO AUSTRIA
Michel Nykjær, the winner of the 2007 FIA S2000 Cup in Adria, defends his title at the wheel of a Chevrolet Lacetti run by the Chevrolet Motorsport Danmark team.
He will face Richard Göransson in the Flash Engineering BMW 320si, who was the first ever driver to clinch the FIA S2000 Cup at Vallelunga in 2005.
The third former winner is Alexander Lvov from Russia who was crowned Super Production champion in 2006 at Estoril. The Russian driver will compete again in a Golden Motors Honda Accord.
THE HIGHEST-RATED COMPETITORS
Nykjær and Göransson are definitely among the highest-rated pretenders to the FIA S2000 Cup.
Others top-seeds are: Thomas Engström (Sweden) in the Engström Motorsport Honda Accord and Kristen Poulsen (Denmark) in the Poulsen Motorsport BMW 320si, respectively second and third last year in Adria, and the young Spaniard Oscar Nogués with the SUNRED SEAT León, who was awarded participation in the European Cup for having won the SEAT León Eurocup.
ENGSTLER AND NILSSON THE MORE EXPERIENCED
Franz Engstler and Jan Nilsson are the most experienced drivers of the pack. They both drive BMW 320si cars run by their own teams, and have everything to aim for top results.
Engstler, 47-year old from Germany, claimed five Touring Car titles (three in Germany and two in Asia) and is currently a regular top driver in the FIA WTCC's Independents' Trophy.
One year older, from Sweden, "Flash" Nilsson is one of the most successful Touring Car drivers in his country, having obtained two titles and no less than 30 victories in the STCC.
SIX NATIONAL CHAMPIONS GATHERED TOGETHER
The concept at the basis of FIA ETC Cup is to attract drivers from the different national Touring Car championships that adopt FIA technical regulations.
This is perfectly reflected in the participation of six national champions (or nearly.) to the Austrian event.
Philip Geipel (Germany), George Tanev (Bulgaria), Mikko Eskelinen (Finland) and Göransson (Sweden) have already claimed their respective national titles; and so did Egons Lapins (Latvia) in the Baltic Championship.
And César Campaniço is only six points away from being crowned Portuguese champion.
TOYOTA AURIS TO MAKE INTERNATIONAL DEBUT
Sixteen different models will take part in the ETC Cup. One of them is facing its maiden appearance in an international race meeting: the Toyota Auris built and run by the Yaco Team and driven by the newly crowned German Procar champion Philip Geipel.
The Japanese car raced for the first time in the ADAC Procar event at Oschersleben on August 31st. Its best results so far were two second places in the latest Procar meeting at the Sachsenring.
The German team have built and developed the Auris with the aim to take part in the 2009 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
FABIANI TIPPED TO WIN SUPER PRODUCTION
Half-a-dozen drivers will fight for the Super Production Cup. Italian Fabio Fabiani is regarded as the man to beat after he set pole position last year in Adria. Fabiani went off and retired during the first race. He will drive again a BMW 320i like his F. Motorsport team-mate Imerio Brigliadori.
The two Italians will face competition coming from Russia and the Baltic States. Dmitriy Dobrovolsky, who also raced in Adria, makes a comeback in the Aimol Racing Opel Astra, alongside his 19-year old fellow countryman Nikolay Karamishev with the Sport-Garage VW Golf VI.
Baltic Touring Car champion Egons Lapins from Latvia and Lithuanian Paulius Krukauskas complete the field with a pair of Honda Integra cars.
GERMAN AMBITIONS IN SUPER 1600
Four competitors out of six in the new Super 1600 class are Germans. Ralf Martin, Carsten Seifert, Jens Löhnig and Guido Thierfelder are regulars of ADAC Procar's' Division 2.
And so is Andrii Kruglik, the 24-year old from Kiev, the first Ukrainian to compete in the FIA Cup. The only one in the class who is not coming from the Procar series is Sergey Ryabov from Russia.
It is interesting to point out that the six S1600 cars entered represent four different car manufacturers: Citroën, Ford, Peugeot and Volkswagen.
BOTH RACES TELEVISED ON EUROSPORT
Eurosport International will broadcast both the FIA European Touring Car Cup races from the Salzburgring on Sunday, October 19th.
Race 1 will be aired live from 12.00 (noon) to 12.30; coverage of the second race will be a recorded broadcast, from 18.40 to 19.00. All times are CET.
Fabio Ravaioli - FIA ETCC message.
