Independent World Touring Car Championship team bamboo engineering enjoyed a ‘great weekend’ in Japan, as Alex MacDowall scored another independent win, whilst Darryl O’Young enjoyed a solid return to the team.
MacDowall was the top independent driver in qualifying, after placing his Chevrolet Cruze in fourth for the race one grid, with the young Brit only beaten by the trio of works Chevrolet drivers. O’Young also made it through to the top 12 S2 session, but could only manage 12th in his first weekend in the Cruze since November 2011.
21-year old MacDowall was jumped by experienced touring car racer Gabriele Tarquini at the start of the first race and ultimately had to settle for fifth in the race, equalling his strongest result in the WTCC to-date. The position also secured him the victory in the Yokohama Driver’s Trophy, his second class victory of the season. In the second race MacDowall found it harder to make progress around the notoriously difficult-to-overtake Suzuka circuit, eventually finishing in ninth after battling with Aleksei Dudukalo, Tiago Monteiro and Franz Engstler throughout the race.
Following on from his second independents win, and fourth consecutive top ten result, MacDowall admitted that he was pleased to take a class victory again and prove his performance.
“I was really happy to win again, it was a great weekend for the team,” said MacDowall. “We had a strong set-up and pace from the start and were really close to the works Chevrolets in qualifying and with race pace.
“In the first race I knew I was so close to Gabriele but he was driving very defensively and I realised it wasn’t worth taking a risk and trying to pass him. I knew I was on course for the independents win and decided that was what I needed to do.
“The second wasn’t as great and fifth [in class] was the best I could manage. There aren’t many places for overtaking here and once you find yourself in a train of cars there’s little you can do. With the reverse grid I was further down and had the three works cars behind me, so I knew it was going to be hard.
“The car has been great, as it has now for the last few rounds and I am happy with my pace. It puts us in a good position ahead of the last two rounds in China and Macau.”
Team Principal Richard Coleman was full of praise for MacDowall, in particular the youngster’s display of maturity and speed over the course of the race weekend.
“Alex is still just 21 and is in his rookie year yet he was much faster than Tarquini in the first race but wisely chose to sit behind him and take the independents win,” added Coleman. “This is the second weekend now where he has been fighting wheel-to-wheel with the former world champion, and this proves what a talented young driver he is.”
O’Young, meanwhile, admitted that he had settled back into the team with whom he made his WTCC debut in 2010 with ease, even if the Hong Kong driver failed to score any points for the fifth weekend in 2012.
“I’ve had a great first weekend back with the bamboo engineering team,” said O’Young. “It was good to be back in the Chevy Cruze again and I felt back at home with the team straight away.
“I would’ve liked to have perhaps finished a few places higher but I’m very happy with the car now and I think we’re going to be in a good position for my two home races in Shanghai and Macau.”