Photo: WTCC Media

Alex MacDowall targeting independents’ race win

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Joint-independents’ trophy points leader Alex MacDowall is hoping to achieve at least one class victory at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia next weekend, despite the track being a famously strong circuit for the rear-wheel drive BMWs which make up the bulk of the independents’ class.

21-year-old MacDowall currently shares the points lead in the Yokohama Independents’ Trophy along with Wiechers-Sport BMW driver Stefano D’Aste and SUNRED Engineering’s Pepe Oriola, who will be at his home race at Valencia.

In the first round of the Championship two weeks ago at Monza, MacDowall finished second and third in the independents’ classification in the two races, and picked up the same number of points as D’Aste and Oriola, whom both won a race apiece.

“We can aim a bit higher at Valencia, we can definitely do better than at Monza. There I really just wanted to get the first weekend in the championship out of the way with a couple of decent results, but now I’m aiming for more,” said MacDowall.

“I think the Cruze will be the strongest front-wheel drive car in Valencia but everyone says it’s a BMW track so (Stefano) D’Aste should be strong. We need to stay out of trouble and try to pick up as many points as we can, but I’m also going there to try and win at least one race.”

Last year at Valencia, eventual independents’ champion Kristian Poulsen took both the trophy victories in his Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320 TC, whilst the Bamboo Engineering Cruzes best result was 14th place in each race for the team’s then drivers Yukinori Taniguchi and Darryl O’Young.

Bamboo’s Chevrolet Cruzes will run with the same success ballast as the factory team running with an additional 40kg over the BMWs.