ETCC back to single event for 2011

The European Touring Car Cup will return to a single event at the Salzburgring in July, according to the FIA's latest events calendar.
The Salzburgring in Austria hosted the second round of the three event 2010 European Touring Car Cup as well as the 2008 event which was won by Danish driver Michel Nykjaer.

The FIA has now released the 2011 calendar which confirms the Cup will return to a single event on 24th July, much earlier in the season than the race has taken place in previous years. The European Touring Car Cup has historically been scheduled to take place after the majority of the national championships seasons have ended.

The race does however take place during both the new STCC, ADAC Procar and BTCC's mid-season break, although the latter series will have a minority of Super 2000 cars which are eligible for the event this year.

Rumoured Entries so far:

1. Michael Zemp - Mercedes C200 (supported by Rikli Motorsport)
2. Fabio Fabiani (no rumour of team, car or class)

Confirmed:

S2000):

1. Tomas Engstrom - Engstrom Motorsport Honda Accord Euro R
2. Ibrahim Okyay - Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport BMW 320si
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi - Hartmann Honda Racing Accord Euro R
4. Wolfgang Treml - Hartmann Honda Racing Accord Euro R
5. Peter Rikli - Rikli Motorsport Honda Civic
6. Christian Fischer - Rikli Motorsport Honda Accord Euro R
7. Jens-Guido Weiman - Thate Motorsport BMW 320si
8. Michael Nykjaer - Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden Cruze
9. Pepe Oriola - SunRed Racing - SEAT TDI


Super Production:

1. Niek Oude Luttikhuis - Mitsubishi Charisma


Super 1600:

1. Thomas Mühlenz - Ford Fiesta LPG

Niek Oude Luttikhuis first confirmed for ETC Cup
Dutch driver Niek Oude Luttikhuis is the first driver to confirm his participation in the 2011 FIA European Touring Car Cup at the Salzburgring next month in the Super Production class.
The ETC Cup is back to a single round event for this season, after being run as a three event series for the first time in 2010. There are still three separate classes open to compete in: Super 2000, Super 1600 and Super Production.

Last year, the European Touring Car Cup was won by British driver James Thompson in a Honda Accord Euro-R run by Hartmann Honda Racing for the second consecutive year.

The Super Production class was won by Vojislav Lekic in a Honda Civic Type-R, though only two drivers competed in the 'SP' class in 2010.

"Last year, I wanted to race in the ETCC event at the Salzburgring already, but it didn't materialise," said Oude Luttikhuis.

"This year, however, I want to be on the grid no matter what. My entry has already been submitted.”

Oude Luttikhuis will compete with his own team, co-founded in 2000 with Mike Kremer called Pro East Racing.

The car he will compete in is also from 2000; A Mitsubishi Carisma 1.8GDI which competed in the Dutch Touring Car Championship in 2000, before spending two years in the British Touring Car Championship's Production Class with teams Cranfield Automotive Management and TH Motorsport.

Oude Luttikhuis purchased the car a few years ago, and the car has been rebuilt for it's debut in the European Touring Car Cup on July 24th in Austria.

yep it's great that these old cars are still be able to compete, but I think that he will be a driving-chicane. Strange he used a Honda inspired livery? Back then they had Marlboro decals on it.

Forgotten I had started this topic.

Added a few more rumoured entries to the top

Engstrom confirms he is taking part:

http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=6365

No Tomas Engström in Falkenberg
Honda driver Tomas Engström is going to skip the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship in Falkenberg this weekend despite the recent strong performance in the championship.
"We could have taken part in Falkenberg, but we do not want to risk anything ahead of the ETC Cup and the rest of the STCC season," said Engström.
Engström is going to take part in the European Touring Car Cup races at Salzburgring on the 24th of July.
"It is important that we take part in the ETC Cup for our partners and we have got strong results to defend from last year as well," said Engström.

The Honda driver is currently sixth in the STCC championship, jumping up the order after a strong performance in the last four races with three podium finishes.

Engström finished third in the ETC Cup last year.

http://fiaetcc.com/html/read_news.asp?idnews=193

IBRAHIM OKYAY TO RACE AT SALZBURG

Ibrahim Okyay will take part in the FIA European Touring Car Cup once again. The multiple Turkish touring car champion has confirmed his participation in this year’s event at the Austrian Salzburgring. Okyay will be at the wheel of a BMW 320si in Super 2000 specifications, run by the Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport, the same car he drove earlier this year at the FIA World Touring Car Champioship event at Monza.

In the 2010 FIA ETCC Okyay was classified fourth, his best result in the series so far. “We want to be more competitive than last year. Fourth is not enough, this year I will be aiming for a podium position,” said the Turkish racer.

HARTMANN RACING SIGN GIOVANARDI AND TREML

Hartmann Racing are aiming for a third consecutive victory in the FIA European Touring Car Cup. The Denmark-based team have signed touring car legend Fabrizio Giovanardi and Austrian driver Wolfgang Treml to race in their Honda Accord S2000 cars at the Salzburgring.

Twice a winner of the European Touring Car (2001 and 2002) and the British Touring Car (2007 and 2008) championships, Giovanardi is given the task to replace James Thompson who won the ETC Cup for Hartmann Racing in 2009 and 2010.
“We are definitley aiming for winning the title again. The team have the expertise and the car has the potential. Now it’s a matter of how quick we will work to adapt the car to my driving style. The last time I drove a Honda Accord was at Macau in the 2006 WTCC and we will have only three test sessions at Salzburg to find a good set-up. In any case I see this opportunity to show that I am still able to be competitive at an international level,” said the Italian driver.
Team principal Hans Hartmann Petersen commented: “Winning the European Cup for the third consecutive time will not be easy, because every year the competition is stronger. We are very motivated; both cars have new engines and we have a strong team. Giovanardi is an experienced and fast driver, while Treml is very consistent as it was proved last year by his fourth place. All in all we have everything we need to reach this ambitious target.”

http://fiaetcc.com/html/read_news.asp?idnews=194

http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=6439

Giovanardi and Treml confirmed for Hartmann Honda

Fabrizio Giovanardi and Wolfgang Treml have been confirmed as the driver pairing at the Hartmann Honda Racing team for the team's assault on this year's European Touring Car Cup.
The two-time British Touring Car Champion and 2002 European Touring Car Champion is looking forward to the event, where he competes in the car which won the event for the last two year's in the hands of James Thompson.

"We are definitley aiming for winning the title again," said Giovanardi.

"The team have the expertise and the car has the potential. Now it's a matter of how quick we will work to adapt the car to my driving style."

"The last time I drove a Honda Accord was at Macau in the 2006 WTCC and we will have only three test sessions at Salzburg to find a good set-up. In any case I see this opportunity to show that I am still able to be competitive at an international level."

Giovanardi's team-mate will be Wolfgang Treml. The Austrian competed with the team last year at Salzburgring and Franciacorta, finishing fifth in the classification with three fourth-place finishes.

Hartmann Honda Racing now joins a list of cars confirmed for the event which include their former driver Tomas Engstrom, Swiss pairing Peter Rikli & Christian Fischer and former WTCC-driver Ibrahim Okyay in the Super 2000 category, with more announcements to follow.

ENGSTRÖM IN SEVENTH ETCC PARTICIPATION

http://fiaetcc.com/html/Read_News.asp?idnews=195

Once again Tomas Engström proves himself as one of the most faithful followers of the FIA European Touring Car Cup. The Swedish driver confirmed today that he will take part in the 2011 ETCC at the Salzburgring next week, at the wheel of a S2000 Honda Accord Euro R car run by his own Seco Tools Racing Team.

Engström is actually the only driver who has attended all the previous six editions of the European Cup, claiming one second place in 2007 and finishing twice third in 2006 and 2010.
“I am really looking forward to the races in Salzburg. We have had excellent results in the two latest meetings of the Scandinavian Touring Car Cup, collecting three podiums, thus we feel that we have a good car and that the team has the potential to fight for victory in Austria. When, together with our partners, we set up our goals for 2011, one of them was to try and win the ETCC. And I am confident that we are well prepared for this,” Engström said.

Another S2000 Entry - Thate Motorsport with presumably Jens-Guido Weiman in their BMW:

http://www.thate-motorsport.de/thate-motorsport-nimmt-an-der-tourenwagen-europameisterschaft-teil

Bit disappointed we haven't had a Team Engstler or Sunred entry as they've been good for at least 1 entry each the past few years, another 4 or 5 S2000 cars and we may get some half decent racing, even if it is a small field

Michel Nykjaer to race a Cruze at Salzburg

http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=6466

Michel Nykjaer will return to battle for the European Touring Car Cup next weekend at the Salzburgring with a Chevrolet Cruze run by STCC team Chevrolet Team Sweden.
The Danish driver will take part in the seventh running of the event next week at the helm of a 2.0 litre normally aspirated Chevrolet Cruze, where he will be attempting to win his third European Touring Car Cup title.

Nykjaer competed last year in the three event ETC Cup, winning all four races he competed in with the SUNRED-run SEAT León TDI, but lost out to Hartmann Honda Racing's James Thompson for the trophy.

In the previous two seasons, Nykjaer competed with a Chevrolet Lacetti, winning the Cup in 2008 for the second time. Nykjaer won the ETC Cup on his debut in 2007, the competing in a GR Asia-run SEAT León.

Nykjaer will race the car which is used by Rickard Rydell in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship, and was WTCC driver Rob Huff's race car in the 2010 WTCC season.

Debut en el ETCC SUNRED ha confirmado la participación de Pepe Oriola en el Europeo de Turismos que se disputa el 23 y 24 de julio en el Circuito de Salzburgring (Austria). Oriola será el único representante de la escudería española en el ETCC, que se realiza a una sola prueba en dos mangas, en este emocionante y prestigioso meeting.

t Sunred have confirmed the participation of Pepe Oriola at the ETCC Cup on 23 and 24 July at Salzbergring.

(Seeing as the 1.6 turbo is banned, presume it will be in the Diesel?

http://www.galiciaenrallys.com/?p=9400

(Nicked from Robbe who originallt posted at Ten-Tenths)

http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=6471

Pepe Oriola to race SEAT TDI at Salzburgring
Spanish driver Pepe Oriola will compete in the 2011 FIA European Touring Car Cup with a SEAT Leon TDI run by his WTCC team, SUNRED Engineering.
With the 1.6 litre turbocharged petrol engine not eligible for the one-off touring car event, the 17-year-old Spaniard will make his European Touring Car Cup debut with the SEAT TDI, which has proven to be one of the most competitive packages in previous years in the event, .

Oriola joins a strong line-up in the Super 2000 class, with his regular SUNRED WTCC team-mate Michel Nykjaer competing in a 2010 specification Chevrolet Cruze, and the two Hondas of Fabrizio Giovanardi and Tomas Engstrom run by Hartmann Honda Racing and Engstrom Motorsport respectively.

Qualifying takes place on Saturday 23rd July at 15:00 CET with the races at 11:20 and 12:35 CET on Sunday 24th July.

Thomas Mühlenz to race with an LPG Ford Fiesta

http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=6470

Thomas Mühlenz will race in this weekend's European Touring Car Cup in the Super 1600 category, with a liquified petroleum gas powered Ford Fiesta ST run by Roscher Racing.
Mühlenz finished as the championship runner-up in the ADAC Procar Divison 2 class in 2009 in the modified Ford, finishin behind the Peugeot 207 of Guido Thierfelder.

The 34-year-old German is the first driver to be confirmed in the S1600 class for this weekend's one-off FIA European Touring Car Cup event at the Salzburgring.