José María López set to join WTCC grid in Argentina
Three-time (Super) TC 2000 Champion José María ‘Pechito’ Lopez is set to join the field when the FIA World Touring Car Championship makes its debut on Argentinian soil this August.
The driver who had a strong career in European single seaters earlier last decade has since had a successful career back home in Argentina in tin-tops, winning the TC 2000 Championship in 2008 and 2009 for Honda and then the superceding Super TC 2000 last season with the privateer PSG16 Team.
The 30-year-old was infamously linked with the failed US F1 Team project which was set to see him make his FIA Championship debut in Formula 1 in 2010, but when that failed he returned to race in TC 2000.
Earlier this evening, following on from today’s official announcement that the WTCC will visit the Termas de Río Hondo circuit in the Santiago del Estero region of Argentina on August 4th, López confirmed:
“I am proud to to represent the colours of our country and grateful to the ACA and race organizers of Termas de Rio Hondo WTCC for trusting me and giving me this opportunity,” said López on his Twitter account. “(There are) still a lot of details that are going to be confirmed as the date approaches. As always I will give everything to represent our colours.”
Which team López will drive for is yet unclear. There are a number of cars available which run to the current Super 2000 specification with 1.6 litre turbocharged engines available at Campos Racing, Special Tuning Racing, the BMW 320 TC of ANOME, as well as the championship leading Chevrolet Cruzes owned by both RML and the last team to run an Argentinian driver in the WTCC, Nika Racing, which fielded a car for Leonel Pernía at Monza in 2010.
