 [05-11-2011]
FRANCK MAILLEUX AIMS TO END CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING SEASON WITH ZHUHAI VICTORY
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 [05-11-2011]
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[05-11-2011]
FRANCK MAILLEUX AIMS TO END CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING SEASON WITH ZHUHAI VICTORY
 Recently crowned Intercontinental Le Mans Cup champion Franck Mailleux is hoping to cap off a remarkable 2011 season with victory in next weekend’s season finale race at the Zhuhai International Circuit in China.
Franck has had a stellar year with four LMP2 podium results in the five events of the ILMC season so far with second place at Sebring, Le Mans and Imola and a third place finish last time out at Road Atlanta. That result ensured Signatech-Nissan took this year’s ILMC LMP2 crown but the team still has its sights set on a class win this season with Zhuhai providing the final opportunity to achieve that realistic goal.
Located in Jin Ding town in the Guangdong Province, the Zhuhai International Circuit was the first permanent motor racing circuit to be built in China back in 1996. The circuit’s position near to Macau and Hong Kong led to the track becoming a haven for local motorsport. The track’s composition of 14 turns, nine right and five left, with numerous straights, including a long start-finish straight of 900 metres makes it an enjoyable and fast track to drive.
Signatech-Nissan has been the team to beat in LMP2 this season with its combination of a competitive driver line-up, professional crew and a potent technical partnership with Nissan, so heads to Zhuhai in buoyant mood, despite never having visited the track before. The team will take part in a test session at the circuit on Wednesday itself to acclimatise to the complexities of the 4.03km track and to begin crucial set-up work on the Dunlop-equipped Oreca 03 chassis.
It will be Franck’s first visit to the Zhuhai track so he too will have to learn the track, something he has proven quite accomplished at this year having mastered demanding circuits like Sebring and Road Atlanta quickly and professionally.
Franck Mailleux said: “It is a great feeling to be heading to the season finale with the championship title already in the bag. We are still on a high after the result from Petit Le Mans but just because we are already LMP2 champions, that doesn’t mean that we are taking this Zhuhai event easy. We still want to achieve one objective this season and that is to take a class victory, something that has eluded us so far. We have been runners up three times and I think victory in Zhuhai would be a fitting way to end the season. It is our first trip there, though, so we have some work to do to set up the Signatech-Nissan Oreca 03, as well as work with Dunlop on tyre evaluation. Thankfully we have a test at the track on Wednesday to get up to speed, so we will use that opportunity wisely. I am looking forward to it; it seems to be a fun track and it is going to be great racing in China. We will do all we can to end this season in the best possible way.”
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