Supercopa to support WTCC in Portimao
2010. június 26. 18:22 | még nem szólt hozzá senki. szerző: Viktor Adorján
The Spanish SEAT Leon Supercopa will be one of the support races of the upcoming WTCC Race of Portugal in Portimao. The highly competitive Spanish field will sub for the EuroCup on the F1 standard circuit where Norbert Kiss prepares for another chance to show his speed.
We've pretty much got used to have a SEAT Leon championship supporting the WTCC in Europe but unlike the most of the cases this time it won't be the SEAT Leon EuroCup that will be featured in Portimao but the Spanish SEAT Leon Supercopa will be presented in front of the Portuguese crowd.
The Spanish championship is one of the most competitive national single brand championship on the world featuring drivers who have already proved their talent in international races like former EuroCup champion Oscar Nogués, or clearly up to the standards like title holder Marc Carol.
Not surprisingly they're leading the classifications but a previously unknown driver put down his business card in Jarama and showed that he is a man with whom everybody should start to count: he is none other than the former back to back champion of the Hungarian SEAT Leon Super Cup, called Norbert Kiss.
Kiss was called in by Zengő-Dension Team ahead of the 2nd round in Jarama to replace Norbert Michelisz who is competing in the WTCC this year but lined up for the grid on the first round in order to keep his reflexes sharp in the long break between the 1st and 2nd round of the world championship.
Therefore Kiss joined for the 2nd round of the Spanish championship in Jarama and showed impressive progress that enabled him to claim a start to finish victory on Sunday and made him to move up to 5th in the classification.
Emerging from nowhere
Racing in Jarama was a real breakthrough for Norbert Kiss as his career was hardly kept alive before he was recruited by Zoltán Zengő, founder and team principal of Zengő-Dension Team. Kiss put in massive efforts to show his worth and in the end he was on the pace following a bit worrying start in Jarama.
When asked about the outlook for the race in Portimao, Norbert Kiss's enthusiasm was touchable: he said he is eager to be competitive again and will do his best in order to be on the pace in Portugal as well.
Michelisz's former rival stated that he will focus on the Sunday's feature race again as that race will be the most valuable in terms of points scoring but admitted that he would prefer to be higher up on the grid than he was in Jarama.
The fact that this time the Supercopa will support the WTCC is an extra motivation for Kiss who sees this weekend as an opportunity to get a feel of how the Zengő-Dension Team's WTCC squad is operating including his former opponent's performance.
For Kiss the season is currently going on a race by race basis. He was reassured by the team chiefs that he doesn't need to worry about his season but from the driving point of view Kiss is not thinking about further plans yet. He scored 28 points on his maiden weekend but the classification is led by Oscar Nogués and his 75 points, this gap is clearly large but not impossible to make it up.
Based on his comments, this time the pace and the competitiveness will be the focus for Kiss as the Hungarian driver would like to continue his campaign where he finished in a month time: driving among the frontrunners.
Duarte joins with no pressure
Following the bitter disappointments in the SEAT Leon EuroCup, Duarte Félix da Costa will race on home soil in Portugal alongside Norbert Kiss. The Portuguese driver showed impressive pace over the course of the weekends in Monza and Zolder but the luck hasn't been on his side at all.
Having done two rounds out of seven in the EuroCup, Duarte considers his chances are over to claim the 2010 championship title following a series of bad luck, penalties and unavoidable racing incidents that stopped him to score points despite being competitive and regularly on the pace.
"Driving at Portimao gives us a really good felling: it is a proper racing circuit and all the facilities are really good. Parkalgar and Mr. Paulo Pinheiro did a very good job on building this circuit. I've already raced here a few times and actually have always been quick so I must be confident," said Duarte.
A deeply disappointed driver said in Zolder that he is now focusing on competing on a race by race basis, this is an attitude that might work out pretty well in Portimao where he'll race with nothing to think about except being fast and competitive on the three races he will be participating.
Duarte neither has been a part nor he will be of the field of the Spanish championship which means he is free to attack for the success just like in the EuroCup. Being disengaged might work out well for him.
"For sure there will be a lot of crowd and for my sponsors, friends and fans a win at Portimao would be really good so this is my goal. The EuroCup have not been good on the first two races, because we are quick but the results have not been getting for various reasons, so a win here should be the turning point," he added.
Kontra and Solti continue their campaign
Only two out of the four drivers have participated on every races this year so far but not on every races. György Kontra and Attila Solti are regulars in the Spanish championship and battling hard in the midfield for the positions.
Apart from the competitive nature of the series, they're the most involved in the tight races that are expected to take place in Portimao as well where three races will be completed by the drivers just like anywhere else in the championship.
This race format provide constant action on the circuit with the chance to show great progresses or elevations from the back of the field but also require the team to perform well starting from the first race otherwise serious gaps might be necessary to get made up.
While Gábor Wéber, Andrea Larini and Imre Birizdó wait to return for Brands Hatch join us for the weekend in Portimao as our team lead by Norbert Kiss will participate in a series that is as fine as the EuroCup.
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