EU: Series Valencia SC preview

Formula BMW Heads to the Streets of Valencia.

Munich. After a three week break no doubt the Formula BMW Europe competitors will be looking forward to getting to Valencia for their one street race of the season. As they head towards Spain it is Michael Christensen (DK/Mucke Motorsport) who has pulled out an 11 point lead over Felipe Nasr (BR/Eurointernational).

While Christensen hopes to do well on his favourite circuit, Nasr must surely want to give himself a special birthday present, as he turns 17 on the Friday of the event, a week before Christensen turns 19. At the moment Christensen has five wins to his name and Nasr three. Robin Frijns (NL/Josef Kaufmann Racing) is still the leading Rookie with Jack Harvey (GB/Fortec Motorsport) second.

It goes without saying the five local drivers - Daniel Juncadella (Eurointernational), Antonio Martinez (Fortec Motorsport), Ramon Pineiro (Motaworld Racing Europe Ltd), Facu Regalia (Josef Kaufmann Racing) and Javier Tarancon (DAMS) - will have a special interest in doing well in this race. However, as this is the one track the teams cannot test at, Juncadella, Pineiro and Regalia have an advantage from racing there last year.

Regalia comes from Madrid, which is 300 kilomteres away, and will take the train to Valencia. This is actually his favourite track where he has done well, as he explains: "It is a good track and one I like. I nearly had my first podium there last year, so this year I am determined to fight even harder. I do have the advantage of knowing the track and I need to perform well in front of my home fans. "

Another fan of the track is Juncadella, from Barcelona, who explains its unique characteristics: "It is more like a permanent facility than a street circuit. In some of the corners the barriers are quite close to the track, but not like in Monaco or Macau as there is still plenty of space. The most difficult thing to come to terms with is the lack of grip at the start of the weekend, but once the Formula 1 cars get on track that helps. It really is a nice track."

Since the last race in Hungary there have been some musical chairs in the series with Pineiro moving from Fisichella Motorsport International SPA to Motaworld Racing Europe Ltd, and his seat there has been taken just for Valencia by Pedro Bianchini from Brazil who drove in the 2008 series and came seventh. Mikkel Mac (DK) has left Motaworld and will not be racing in Valencia, and unfortunately David Mengesdorf (DE/Eifelland Racing) has also pulled out of the series for the remainder of the season. New additions to the

grid as guest drivers with Motaworld Racing Europe Ltd will be Zimbabwe's Axcil Jefferies and Malaysia's Fahmi Ilyas, both of whom regularly compete in Formula BMW Pacific. Jefferies will become the youngest driver in the series as he only turned 15 in April.

The Valencia track is 5.440 kilometres long, is right by the sea and includes a bridge that links the North and South Marina. On the south side the cars actually drive along the quayside by the historic fish market. It has 13 right hand and 12 left hand corners. The first Formula BMW Europe action will be on Friday for free practice from 08.50 to 09.15 with qualifying from 12.50 to 13.15. The first ten lap race of the weekend will be on Saturday at 17.30 and the second at 09.15 on Sunday.All times are local CET.

-creedit: fbmw eu