Shanghai F1Circuit, China (July 8, 2007)
The China Circuit Championship (CCC) had its season-opener at the Shanghai F1Circuit (4,603 km/lap) in Shanghai on July 8th. In the opening round, the Nissan TIIDA (Dongfeng Nissan Ghiasports Team) finished third in what was a good start to the season.
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Although the sun is not always visible, early summer in Shanghai is steaming hot and by 3:00pm on race day, the temperature was already 34 degrees C. With the humidity at almost 90%, the conditions were intense as the drivers prepared to start the 17-lap race.
The green start lights flashed on at 2:45pm. Defending champion Guo Haisheng, proudly displaying #1 on his car, made a mistake at the start and completed the first lap in 4th place. Guo however managed to fill the gap between the Volkswagen Polo (#5) and KIA Cerato (#21) in front of him, and by the time they reached their 4th lap, a tail-to-nose battle was taking place between the three cars.
On lap 5, Guo was immediately behind the #5 looking for his chance to overtake on the main straight. On the first corner of the following lap, he took the inside and got past the Polo, moving up to 3rd place. Then on the final corner of the same lap, he took care of the #21 Cerato, leaping into 2nd. His next target was the #3 Polo, 7 seconds up the road. The TIIDA was closing the gap every tour, and by lap 14, it was down to 4.02 seconds. While continuing his pursuit, Guo had a suspension problem on lap 16 as he was going into the final corner. The car lost control, hitting the concrete wall, forcing it to retire.
Meanwhile, in his first race in a TIIDA, Lin Lifeng (#2) qualified successfully in 3rd place. Following his teammate, he too made a mistake at the start, finishing the first tour in 7th place. Still, he managed to maintain a good pace throughout the race. He recovered to 5th after passing Peugeot 206s on laps 2 and 3, and kept the pressure on the #21 Cerato until he took back 4th on lap 12. At the end of the race, with the #1 retired, Lin took the checkered flag in 3rd.
#2 TIIDA driver Lin Lifeng commented afterward
"I regret being pushed by other cars and losing positions at the start. I knew from Friday that the Polos were1.5 to 2 seconds faster, so I wasn't chasing a win. I am happy to finish 3rd and get on the podium, but it's unfortunate my teammate in the #1 did not finish. The team did the best job ever, and the car is very good as well. I am hoping that next time, either one of us will be standing on the top step of the podium."
The race for 2000cc class cars was also held and the lone privateer Nissan Sunny entry scored back-to-back victories.
China Circuit Championship (CCC)
The China Circuit Championship is a touring car series held in China. Nissan/NISMO is providing technical support to the Dongfeng Nissan Ghiasports Team, which has two TIIDAs entered in the 1600cc class. There is also a privateer Sunny (Bluebird) in the 2000cc class. This season's championship is comprised of 6 rounds, held at circuits in Zhuhai, Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu. The 1600cc class entry is limited to Mainland Chinese drivers in order to support young Chinese talent. With rules governing modifications being quite open, the series is considered worth contesting and has become one of the most popular categories in Chinese touring car racing.
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