Alex MacDowall believes that an improvement in his qualifying pace will be key to a successful weekend at the Salzburgring in Austria, the venue for rounds eleven and twelve of the 2012 World Touring Car Championship.
Heading to the Salzburgring, MacDowall finds himself inside the top six of the Yokohama Independents battle after two strong race performances last time out at the Hungaroring, after the qualifying session hadn’t quite gone to plan for the Carlisle racer.
“We need to get qualifying sorted out,” explains the bamboo engineering driver. “If we can find a set-up that allows us to get the best out of the tyres over one lap then we’ll be in much better shape than we have been recently. In the races we’ve been pretty strong pace-wise, it’s the qualifying where we’re losing out and then having a lot of work to do in the races. Hopefully we can turn that around in Austria, that’s the plan.”
The trip to the Salzburgring marks the first time a World Championship car racing event has visited the circuit and it will put the field on a reasonably equal footing, and there will be no on track running before the two practice sessions Saturday, 19 May.
MacDowall also feels that the circuit will suit his bamboo engineering Chevrolet Cruze, with some long, fast sections around the lap.
“It looks quite a unique track, really fast, and it’s in the middle of a forest so it’s a bit like being at the Nürburgring”, said the Cumbrian racer, “I’m hopeful it should suit our car, the Chevy has got a good engine and I think there’ll be a fair bit of slipstreaming as there are some good, flat-out sections.”
Rounds eleven and twelve of the 2012 season will be shown live on Eurosport on Sunday, 20 May. Round eleven gets underway at 12.20 BST with round twelve starting at 13.35 BST.