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WTCC 2006 - FIA World Touring Car Championship
Wed Mar 22 15:30:00 CET 2006 Press Kit
Press kit WTCC 2006 - FIA World Touring Car Championship
Press Contact.
Kevin Marcotte
BMW Group
Tel: +1-905-428-5640
Fax: +1-905-428-5071
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Author.
Kevin Marcotte
BMW Group
1. Gearing up for the future. 2. Calendar and TV coverage. 3. Circuits. 4. Interview with Mario Theissen. 5. Drivers. 6. Teams. 7. The BMW 320si WTCC. 8. Technical specifications. 9. Format and regulations. 10. The BMW 3 Series on the race track. 11. Technical partners and sponsors. 12. Press contacts.
Mission: to defend the title.
After the successful revival of the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC)
last year, the series enters its second season in 2006. 1987 and 2005 saw the
world's best touring car drivers vying for the crown in this racing discipline,
and on each occasion it was a BMW driver who swept up the world championship
title. Following in the tyre tracks of Roberto Ravaglia (ITA), who prevailed 19
years ago driving a BMW M3, Andy Priaulx (GBR) mounted the top step of the
podium at the end of last year's season. But that wasn't all: BMW also managed
to secure the manufacturers' title with the BMW 320i, while BMW privateer
driver Marc Hennerici (GER) took the Independents Trophy.
This raft of triumphs marked the end of the unique career of the BMW 320i
touring car, and a highly promising successor is already waiting in the wings:
the BMW 320si. BMW Motorsport's engineers developed this compelling race car -
driven by a four-cylinder engine with around 275 bhp - on the basis of the
production model of the same name. The BMW 320si, available in a limited
edition of 2,600 roadgoing cars, provided the developers with an excellent
basis on which to build a powerful race version.
"I am convinced the BMW 320si will carry on the BMW success story in touring
car racing", says BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. This year's WTCC
should prove even more exciting than in 2005. There are new manufacturers
involved, the field of participants will expand further and there are some new
venues in the calendar. Overall, the World Touring Car Championship offers
everything a race series needs. With our three national teams and the new BMW
320si, we are in a good position to be up there with the front-runners again."