COUNTDOWN: - 3 DAYS to the 2008 FIA WTCC Race of Portugal - 12th / 13th July, in Estoril
LADA CARS CAN SCORE POINTS
The two LADA 110 cars of Jaap van Lagen and Viktor Shapovalov have been declared eligible to score championship points.
The decision was issued by the FIA Touring Car Bureau on the basis of the Option Variant filed by the Russian Manufacturer to amend the Group N homologation form of the LADA 110.
In the three previous meetings at Valencia, Pau and Brno, the Russian cars had been considered transparent because the intake and outlet ports of the cylinder head did not conform to the homologation form.
Further to this decision, Russian Bears Motorsport and their drivers are now also eligible to score points for the Independents' and Teams' Trophies from Estoril onwards.
30 MINUTE TEST SESSION ON FRIDAY
The FIA WTCC competitors will have the opportunity to become familiar with the Estoril racetrack during a private test session that will take place tomorrow at 15.00 local time.
The 30-minute session has been authorized by the FIA because the Portuguese circuit has not been visited by the championship before.
On Saturday WTCC will go back to its standard programme, with two free practice sessions and one qualifying.
15 KG LESS FOR PETROL-POWERED SEAT CARS
Further to a decision taken by the FIA Touring Car Bureau, all the petrol-powered SEAT León TFSI cars will benefit from a 15-kilo reduction from the meeting in Estoril and until further notice.
This will reduce the minimum weight of the SUNRED Engineering's and Exagon Engineering's cars from 1140 to 1125, including the driver.
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.
EUROSPORT COVERAGE FROM ESTORIL
Saturday, 12th: Qualifying - LIVE Eurosport 2, 16.00/16.45
Sunday, 13th: Warm up - LIVE Eurosport 2, 10.30/11.00
Race 1 - LIVE Eurosport 2, 14.00/15.00
Race 1 - highlights Eurosport International, 17.30/18.00
Race 2 - LIVE Eurosport International, 18.00/19.00
Times are CET (Central European Time)
DAVID LESLIE MEMORIAL CELEBRATION
The family of the late David Leslie invite his friends and admirers to attend a Memorial Celebration of his life to be held at the BRDC Farm at Silverstone Circuit on Thursday, July 24th, starting at 18.00 hrs.
Anyone who would like to attend is kindly asked to confirm their intention by emailing davidlesliememorial@hotmail.co.uk .
Rounds 13 and 14 of the 2008 FIA World Touring Car Championship will take place at Brands Hatch, United Kindgom, 26th and 27th July.
Fabio Ravaioli - FIA WTCC
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