[WTCC/DTM/STCC/TTA & more] 2014 - Loeb for 2014 WTCC

WTCC, BTCC, DTM and Aussie V8s
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SBan83
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#1096

Post by SBan83 »

Bottom post of the previous page:

Yea, I'm not usually one to sit thru enduros but I always make an exception for Bathurst because it delivers just in terms of pure spectacle every time, let alone the added bonus of a good race.
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#1097

Post by PTRACER »

WTCC seemed to make a resurgence in popularity in the 2000s but honestly, I haven't even heard of the guy who's winning/won this year's championship.
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#1098

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Hotdogger wrote:.......I always make an exception for Bathurst because it delivers just in terms of pure spectacle every time, let alone the added bonus of a good race.
Yep, I don't know why but it always comes up with something memorable, and it is also / a reason why it is on my (getting shorter these days) list of events I ensure I have no commitments of any sort to interfere with (other than inviting others over to enjoy with me). Other events are the Le Mans 24 hours, Bathurst 12 Hours, Macau, and a gradually shortening list of GP's. I have changed travel plans in the past to ensure I don't miss these. I'm sure there must be obvious others that I cant think of atm.

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#1099

Post by theracer120 »

Meanwhile, this was Bathurst this morning:
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#1100

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Image
I know that they had an inch and a half of rain in 36hours from Tuesday, and that the storm was wild enough to knock the power out of houses.... I think it was referred to as a category 2 cyclone, but that picture is not of today (its actually from 2010. I'm Not having a go at you, just pointing out that wherever you saw it must have grabbed a file image without checking....) :wink:

The banner and advertising there in that pic is all Biante, who used to sponsor Touring Car Masters (this year Shannons Insurance sponsored their race I think).... the trackside advertising was all Pirtec this year around McPhillamy's, with the track banners being Coopers Mild and Coates Hire.

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#1101

Post by theracer120 »

Oh... LOL. Well, it was snowing up in the Blue Mountains, which if I recall correctly aren't that far from Bathurst (I've only been down that way once)
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#1102

Post by theracer120 »

Some fairly big news has come out today regarding the V8 Supercars. From 2017, two-door cars & non-V8 powerplants will be allowed into the series. If they pull this off, this could be pretty good.
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#1103

Post by SBan83 »

Hope it doesn't turn into another goddamn glued-to-the-ground series like DTM/SuperGT doing all this.
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#1104

Post by theracer120 »

We'll find out at Sydney.

Speaking of Sydney, the other big news that has come out is that Marcos Ambrose will be running there this season in a wildcard entry for Dick Johnson's team.
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#1105

Post by SBan83 »

He'll probably run like crap after being hyped all week, like it always happens in comebacks. :lol:
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#1106

Post by erwin greven »

I think he will be relaxed. He drives better in Sprint Cup since he announced to go back to Australia.
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#1107

Post by SBan83 »

He should be on form by next season but I'll be surprised if he's any better than a top-10 car at Sydney. It's just too competitive to arrive after 10 years and run good, plus the car is different to what he was used to.
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#1108

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Hotdogger wrote:He should be on form by next season but I'll be surprised if he's any better than a top-10 car at Sydney. It's just too competitive to arrive after 10 years and run good, plus the car is different to what he was used to.
He has access to all the Ford Data from recent years, plus a couple of days testing to familiarise himself.

He might need to practice a few standing starts though. :haha:

Talking of the V8SC it is the Gold Coast 600 this weekend. (They did the first 300 today)

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#1109

Post by hocuspocus »

PTRACER wrote:WTCC seemed to make a resurgence in popularity in the 2000s but honestly, I haven't even heard of the guy who's winning/won this year's championship.
He was tester of F1 renault team, ( lost his seat in times of Kovalainen and Piquet Jr) drove some races in GP2 ( under french licence ) and won one, after that he came back to Argentina where he won several races and championships in touring cars , a very very good pilot/driver, without sponsorship and factory support , let´s see him next year in some top series ( my english is very poor, i´m spanish parlant )

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#1110

Post by kals »

Lopez was also signed as USF1's first driver for the 2010 season.
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#1111

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

kals wrote:Lopez was also signed as USF1's first driver for the 2010 season.
Aha..... now I remember..... he is (I guess) the one whose millions in sponsorship were taken and then swallowed up by a team that ultimately spent his first instalment on team set up / establishment costs, and when it all fell in a heap for USF1, Lopez's backers never got a refund despite never having driven a lap in the car. Although they did pay for the team to go out and buy the Brawn transporters and parts truck at great expense

USF1, the Team who were set up ostensibly with the objective of only using US drivers and certainly not any 'pay drivers'. Although they did later say that initially they might have to look at maybe one might be a 'Non US' drivers, as they would benefit from taking on a heavily experienced driver to help with developing the car quickly.

So the team ended up announcing their #1 driver would be an Argentine Pay Driver, fresh from Argentine Production car racing, who clinched the drive with the help of Carlos Reutemann and the Argentine Govt topping up his other sponsors .

When Perez got released from his USF1 contract after USF1 closed, he did not have enough $$$ left to outbid Chandok for a drive at HRT

His F1 experience? As mentioned by others in previous posts he was named as a Renault F1 tester in 2006 (part of the Renault juvenile programme from 2004 - 6), Lopez seemed to be 'used sparingly'. As said by others main testers at this time were Heiki Kaivlonen and Piquet Jnr. Lopez did get a crack at Jerez one day in September 2006 though....

Image
Jose Maria Lopez tested in the second Renault and clocked the third-fastest time. The Argentinean spent the day working on general set-up, but also carried out an important brake development programme.

“We have enjoyed a good first day at the test,” explained Christian Silk, Renault’s chief test engineer. “We were expecting dirty track conditions that were changing all the way through the day, but this didn't prove to be the case. Conditions were good immediately which allowed us to make good progress with our tyre testing. Heikki and Jose both put in a good day's work."
Times from Jerez
1. Heikki Kovalainen, Renault (Michelin), 1:17.236
2. Anthony Davidson, Honda (Michelin), 1:17.499
3. Jose Maria Lopez, Renault (Michelin), 1:17.617
4. Rubens Barrichello, Honda (Michelin), 1:18.424
5. Robert Doornbos, Red Bull (Michelin), 1:19.527
6. Michael Ammermuller, Red Bull (Michelin), 1:19.614
Renault had a troubled day in Jerez. Although Giancarlo Fisichella was second quickest, his session was hampered by several mechanical problems with his R26. The Italian will be back for Friday’s session as stand-in for team mate Fernando Alonso, who sat out this week’s test after bruising his knee in Monza.

Another Renault absentee was Heikki Kovalainen. The Finn had fallen ill with a suspected stomach bug, so Wednesday runner Jose Maria Lopez made an unexpected return. The Argentinean test driver set the third-fastest time, despite completing only 19 laps.

“We must admit that this was a tough day for the team because of mechanical problems with the cars,” explained the team’s chief test engineer Christian Silk. “But the data we did manage to collect is interesting and will need to be completed tomorrow. The team did today a great job to optimize the running time as much as possible and that is a positive point.”

Unofficial Thursday times from Jerez
1. Rubens Barrichello, Honda (Michelin), 1:17.601
2. Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault (Michelin), 1:17.701
3. Jose Maria Lopez, Renault (Michelin), 1:18.071
4. James Rossiter, Honda (Michelin), 1:18.219
5. Robert Doornbos, Red Bull (Michelin), 1:18.325
6. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Red Bull (Michelin), 1:18.672
Image

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