Chevrolet Team Sweden heads to Portugal
The Swedish Touring Car Championship Chevrolet-team is starting early with the pre-season testing. The team heads to the Portuguese track Algarve next week.
“The test will be focused on the work around the new Yokohama-tyres that is replacing Michelin in STCC 2009,” said team boss Nicklas Karlsson.
The team will join the FIA World Touring Car Championship Chevrolet-team and get support from them during the test. Norwegian Thomas Schie will be behind the wheel of the Lacetti.
“It is really good that we can get going with the test at this early stage. There are a lot of settings that we need to learn about the new tyres together with the car,” said Schie.
Other than the new tyres for STCC, the race format has also changed. Instead of one long race with a compulsory pitstop, two shorter sprint races will be held.
“The experience that the Chevrolet-team in WTCC has got from the similar race setup gives us a very good platform to start from. And it is going to be needed, the season was tough last year but for 2009 we all have to raise the bar to keep up with the top,” said Schie.