ETCC Round 1: Braga

[vulcan1]

So 17 drivers confirmed for this weekends ETCC rounds in Portugal including James Thompson in the Honda Accord. It is on British Eurosport 2 on Sunday.
Race 1: 4:30pm - 5:00pm
Race 2: 5:00pm - 5:30pm

[DanB66]

Any other names that we might recognise at all?

[mattlovestbs]

Markin Colak: WTCC Independent
Ibrahim Okyay: WTCC Independent from 08
Kristian Poulsen: WTCC INdependent

Sunred Engineering have entered a brace of Seat Leon TFSi's

[redshoes]

Entry List
James Thompson - Hartmann Honda Racing - Honda Accord
Tomas Engström Hartmann Honda Racing - Honda Accord
Marin Čolak - Čolak Racing Team - SEAT Léon TFSi
Iryna Protasov - Bevz Kostantyn - BMW 320i E46
Yuriy Protasov - Bevz Kostantyn - BMW 320i E46
Leonid Protasov - Bevz Kostantyn - BMW 320i E46
Timur Sadredinov - SUNRED Engineering - SEAT Léon TFSi
Michael Rossi - SUNRED Engineering - SEAT Léon TFSi
Kristian Poulsen - Poulsen Motorsport - BMW 320si E90
César Campaniço - Novadriver Racing Team - BMW 320si E90
Ibrahim Okyay - Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport - BMW 320si E90
Francisco Cavalho - Veloso Motorsport - SEAT Léon TFSi

There's also a couple of SuperProduction cars and three S1600 Fiestas

[thommo_fan]

only 12 cars in the s2000 class is disappointing, it would have been nice to see some teams from the btcc and stcc etc but it not really surprising considering the financial climate, hopefully they'll continue with the format of 3 or 4 rounds and it can grow in to something bigger over the next few years.

Thommo has to be aiming for a win and a podium at the least this weekend.

[simon1220]

Any other names that we might recognise at all?


Markin Colak: WTCC Independent
Ibrahim Okyay: WTCC Independent from 08
Kristian Poulsen: WTCC INdependent

So no then :p Dont see the point of this series, when the WTCC and national series clearly take more importance. They should be drawing much more than 17 cars and some bigger names. Thompson should do well.

[redshoes]

it would have been nice to see some teams from the btcc and stcc etc but it not really surprising considering the financial climate
Not just financial but logistical.

BTCC teams would have been at Brands for the media day last week and at Thruxton next weekend. It's possible to get to Portugal and back in that time but it gives you almost no time to prepare for Thruxton.

[kindaunstuck]

Over the winter Perfection Racing (Chevrolet Denmark), Flash Engineering (STCC) and ROAL ( ran BMW Italy-Spain in WTCC) had all said they were going to enter.

The FIA changed the calendar a while back with meant that the round at Oschesleben was a double header ETCC/ WTCC event, which meant it clashed with the STCC/ DTC/ Scandivaian Championship round (can't remember about the BTCC but it would be cutting it fine to get the cars back from Braga and repair any large amount of damage and get to Thruxton anyway, and as RedShoes also said - there was media day as well this week). By the time they announced they had cancelled the race at Oschesleben it was too late for teams like Flash to prepare the cars for Braga and get the funding in place and get the cars down there in time.

It sounds like we should get both Flash BMWs and another Turkish BMW at the Salzbergring race, so hopefully they'll also get a few more like Engstler as well seeing as the WTCC cars will be back in Europe as well by then.

[craig adams]

Thompson is on pole for 2moro... let's hope he gets on okay.

[vulcan1]

Some good racing in both races considering how many s-2000 cars were in it. Better battles for the lead in this than the WTCC. If the first BTCC thruxton round is as close for the lead as both ETCC races today then I will be happy. :D
Good drive from Thompson in the first race.