Okayama: Chevrolet preview

Cruzes Start Asian Campaign Determined To Secure Both WTCC Titles

Muller, Huff and Menu to go for heavy points in Japan, the season's penultimate event

ZURICH - WELLINGBOROUGH, 22nd October 2010 - The 2010 World Touring Car Championship enters its final phase, as cars, drivers and teams will arrive early next week to Okayama, in Japan, for the first of the two Asian rounds that will conclude the season. Cars and equipment started the long boat journey to Japan hours after the final European round in Valencia five weeks ago and will undergo preparation for the Japanese races on-site in Okayama.

While no major modifications will be brought to the machines, the Chevrolet RML team used last week's test in Jerez to work on different disc and pad options that could equip the Cruze in Okayama and Macau, two technical tracks where brakes play a crucial role. Rob Huff and Yvan Muller drove the test 2010 Cruze chassis during the testing session in Spain, while continuing the development and testing work with the 2011 Cruze equipped with the new 1.6 turbo petrol engine.

The drivers are already not far from Japan: Muller and Menu will fly there from Australia, where they are racing Holden Commodores this coming week-end in the V-8 Supercar event in Surfers' Paradise, while Huff will join from China, where he is coaching journalists at the media launch of the Cruze 1.6 turbo street model.

The entire team is completely focused on its objective, scoring as many points as possible in Okayama to keep or even increase the current lead in both the Manufacturers' and Drivers' championships and definitively secure the titles in Macau.

QUOTES

Yvan Muller: "Okayama is special track, very technical, and a track that somehow balances the potential of the three main manufacturers competing in the WTCC. We saw that last year and I expect this to be the case this year too. So, I think we will all be on an equal foot, and it will be an interesting fight. We go there knowing that we can do well, and with the objective of not doing mistakes, take heavy points and further strengthen our position in both championships".

Rob Huff: "I really love Okayama, both the track, which is quite challenging, and the place, up in the mountains and far away from any urban area. I am very excited to be there again, and I am sure that the Cruze can be competitive, as it has been fantastic on every circuit this year. Rain may play a role, we just need to be ready to react quickly in case of wet conditions, especially in qualifying. For the rest, the objective is clear: try to consolidate Chevrolet's and Yvan's positions in the championships!"

Alain Menu: "We are entering the final and decisive part of the season, it is going to be very exciting and it will be interesting to see in Japan how everybody is coping with the extra pressure that the decisive races bring. Okayama was good to us last year, we had one podium and three more point finishes, and I think we will be competitive this time too. Of course, weather is always a question mark there, conditions may vary from one minute to the other and we can anticipate some this will happen again this time, but we were good also on the wet last year, so I am not very concerned about that". ./..

Eric Nève: "On paper, together with Curitiba, Okayama is the hardest circuit for the Cruze, but the car has been so consistently good this year, doing well on every circuit an in all conditions, dry or wet, that I am confident we will be ok. See what happened in Curitiba, where we won one race and got plenty of points, if we can do the same in Okayama, that will be perfect! We will have a number of GM guests with us, also in view of preparing next year's move of the Japanese event to Suzuka, another great and historic track we look forward to."

OKAYAMA WTCC ON TV
In Europe, qualifying, warm up and the races are be broadcasted live on Eurosport International.

CHEVROLET RACING AROUND THE GLOBE

In the UK, the Chevrolet Cruze has conquered its maiden title, as RML's Jason Plato was crowned British Touring Car Champion, after winning two of the three races in the series' last round in Brands Hatch. Alex MacDowall finished the championship in 11th position.

In the US, Chevy drivers trusted the podium in Fontana (with Stewart, Bowyer and Johnson in the top three positions, while Jamie McMurray won the following event in Charlotte. In the overall standings of the NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson is leading with three other Chevrolet drivers (Harvick, Gordon and Stewart) in 3rd, 4th and 5th positions, respectively.

In Argentina, the Chevrolet Elaion drivers Christian Ledesma and Guillermo Ortelli are 9th and 11th in the overall standings of the TC2000, ahead of the tenth round, to take place in Oberá (Misiones) this coming week-end.

In Sweden, Viktor Hallrup took a second in the final race in Mantorp to conclude 11th overall in the final standings of the Swedish Touring Car Championship.

-source: chevroleteurope.com