FIA ETCC
James Thompson & the Honda Accord gunning for a 2nd FIA ETCC title.
The decisive final round of the ”FIA European Touring Car Cup” will be run next Sunday in Franciacorta (Italy). James Thompson, in former days twice champion of the highly acknowledged BTCC championship series, and now at the wheel of the Honda Accord Super 2000, could clinch his and the Hartmann Honda Racing Team’s 2nd consecutive ETCC title!
In 2005, the FIA ETCC was rebaptised as the FIA WTCC but there still was the battle for a mini ETCC title, a purely European competition ran over a sole race week-end with two consecutive races. At the beginning of the 2010 season the sole ETCC organisation was transformed into four race week-ends thus enhancing quite considerably the sporting value and the battles for the FIA ETCC title.
James Thompson won the first race of the opening 2010 championship week-end in the Portuguese Braga from Swede Tomas Engström (Honda). Thompson, winner of the first race, automatically being relegated to the 8th starting position for the second race, had to give all he had to improve on his starting position. He finally came home 4th, while victory in the second race went to BMW’s Portuguese driver César Campaniço.
In view of the races on the Austrian Salzburgring, Seat presented a WTCC car for the Dane Michel Nykjaer.
”On the rather hilly track, we lacked power compared to the Seat Leon TDI” explains Hans Hartmann after the defeat. ”In both races, James had to live with 2nd each time, in front of Engström. Victory would have been nicer, but under the given circumstances scoring as many points as possible was more important.”
The meeting on the German Oschersleben track was cancelled and in the actual standings, Thompson is leading the FIA ETCC championship from Tomas Engström by 10 points. In Franciacorta (not far from the city of Bergamo) the Hartmann Honda Racing Team will not be facing an impossible mission.
”We’ll have to win the first race, and bag the 10 points,” comments Hans Hartmann. ”In order to make this possible, James will have to start from ”pole”, avoiding the pandemonium when the starting lights go out and the first lap tussle. Same goes for the 2nd race, because if you win the first, you’ll have to start from 8th position in the following race...”
Hans Hartmann, starting his career as racing driver, created his own Hartmann Honda Racing 6 years ago, and is very ambitious on his future plans.
”With James winning the title, we can continue working on our plan, starting with the Honda Accord in the FIA WTCC and compete in the Independents Trophy, which is reserved for privateers such as us. Until now we took part in a few races for the Scandinavian and the Danish Touring Car Championship, however focus was on the FIA European Touring Car Cup and in 2011 our aim will be the FIA WTCC.”
FIA European Touring Car Cup:
1. James Thompson (GB) 32; 2. Tomas Engström (S) 22; 3. Michel Nykjaer (DK) 20; 4. César Campaniço (P) 15 ; 5. Kristian Poulsen (DK), Ibrahim Okyay (TR) 14 ; 7. Wolfgang Treml (A) 10 ; 8. Michaël Rossi (F) 7; 9. Aytaç Biter (TR), Marin Colak (HR), Andrii Kruglyk (UA) 5, etc.
