Photo: WTCC Media

BMW and SUNRED get weight increase for Japan

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The latest compensation ballast calculations have allocated an additional 20kg since the last round for all BMW 320 TCs and 10kg for the SUNRED Leóns at Suzuka, whilst Chevrolet & Volvo maintain their weight allocations from Spain.

Chevrolet have been running at the maximum ballast of 40kg on top of their base weight since the compensation ballast was first calculated at Monza back in May.

BMW were strong in Valencia, despite contact in race three ruining any chance of a podium finish for drivers Javier Villa, Tom Coronel & Norbert Michelisz. The turbocharged BMW 320 TCs will all carry an additional 20kg on top of their standard base weight, bringing them up to 1,190kg at Suzuka.

SUNRED also get an increase of 10kg for all seven of their cars, their usual six drivers plus newcomer Hiroki Yoshimoto in the #88 SUNRED León.

Robert Dahlgren in the lone Volvo C30 will continue to run at the car’s base weight of 1,150kg in Japan.

There are 24 cars entered for the WTCC Race of Japan on October 23rd, with an extra normally aspirated BMW 320si entered by Engstler Motorsport for Charles Ng, with the turbo-engined DeTeam KK Motorsport car being entered for Japanese driver Masaki Kano.

There’s also a fourth Chevrolet Cruze run by RML for Toshi Arai, and Colin Turkington returns to the Wiechers-Sport car for the first time since Donington Park in July, with technical support from British Touring Car team West Surrey Racing.

Entry list and weights for Valencia

No – Driver – Team – Car – Ballast – Weight
1 – Yvan Muller – Chevrolet – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T – +40kg – 1190kg
2 – Robert Huff – Chevrolet – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T – +40kg – 1190kg
3 – Gabriele Tarquini – Lukoil-SUNRED – SR León 1.6T – +10kg – 1160kg
4 – Aleksei Dudukalo* – Lukoil-SUNRED – SR León 1.6T – +10kg – 1160kg
5 – Norbert Michelisz* – Zengö Motorsport – BMW 320 TC – +20kg – 1190kg
7 – Fredy Barth* – SUNRED Engineering – SR León 1.6T – +10kg – 1160kg
8 – Alain Menu – Chevrolet – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T – +40kg – 1190kg
9 – Darryl O’Young* – Bamboo Engineering – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T – +40kg – 1190kg
10 – Yukinori Taniguchi* – Bamboo Engineering – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T – +40kg – 1190kg
11 – Kristian Poulsen* – Liqui-Moly Team Engstler – BMW 320 TC – +20kg – 1190kg
12 – Franz Engstler* – Liqui-Moly Team Engstler – BMW 320 TC – +20kg – 1190kg
15 – Tom Coronel – ROAL Motorsport – BMW 320 TC – +20kg – 1190kg
17 – Michel Nykjaer* – SUNRED Engineering – SR León 1.6T – +10kg – 1160kg
18 – Tiago Monteiro – SUNRED Engineering – SR León 1.6T – +10kg – 1160kg
20 – Javier Villa Garcia* – Proteam Racing – BMW 320 TC – +20kg – 1190kg
21 – Fabio Fabiani*^ – Proteam Racing – BMW 320si – -20kg – 1135kg
25 – Mehdi Bennani* – Proteam Racing – BMW 320 TC – +20kg – 1190kg
29 – Colin Turkington* – Wiechers-Sport/West Surrey Racing – BMW 320 TC – +20kg – 1190kg
30 – Robert Dahlgren – Volvo Polestar Racing – Volvo C30 – ±0kg – 1150kg
31 – Toshihiro Arai – Chevrolet – Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T – +40kg – 1190kg
51 – Charles Ng*^ – Liqui-Moly Team Engstler – BMW 320si – -20k – 1135kg
68 – Masaki Kano* – DeTeam KK Motorsport – BMW 320 TC – +20kg – 1190kg
74 – Pepe Oriola* – SUNRED Engineering – SR León 1.6T – +10kg – 1160kg
88 – Hiroki Yoshimoto – SUNRED Engineering – SR León 1.6T – +10kg – 1160kg

* Eligible for the Yokohama Independents’ Trophy
^ Eligible for the Jay-Ten Trophy