PR: “AND THE BEST IS TO COME!”
|It is on the circuit of Montalegre (Portugal) that DA Racing has started its 2015 season of the FIA World RX. Jean-Baptiste Dubourg and his Citroën C4 Supercar has signed promising beginnings and Andrea Dubourg leaves Portugal with a second place in Super 1600. One thing sure, DA Racing is counting on all its strength to keep up in this wonderful adventure.
Jean-Baptiste Dubourg arrived without any fear on the circuit of Montalegre facing the best racers of the world. The driver of DA Racing maintained his fight, constantly winning up to a semi-final qualification. A remarkable performance when one knows that 18 drivers participate to the World Championship and that the DA Racing driver tended to reach the 12th place. “JB” Dubourg has thus signed a remarkable entrance and has prepared himself in the possible way for the European Rallycross Championship for which the kick-off will be in three weeks’ time in Mettet (Belgium).
“To be present at the start of the first part of the World RX is already a wonderful victory! It was very important for the whole team that the C4 Supercar must be ready for this meeting. The result is clear; the level is very high in terms of material and in terms of professionalism. The official teams have placed the bar very high and to succeed to be qualified to the semi-final is an incredible achievement. With my thirteenth place after the “qualif” I missed of little the achievement as the twelve first are meeting at the finale phases. Between the discovery of the track, a dreadful weather report and the discovery of wet tyres, there was a lot of parameters to take into account to win. This race has allowed me to learn precious information that will be very important before the Belgium race at Mettet, which counts for the Euro RX, my principal program for this season. I wish to thank all our partners who have decided to trust us for this new challenge. Finally, I wish to congratulate the technical team who has worked tremendously hard. I have full faith for this new season and I am impatient to be in Belgium on May 15th and 17th.”
Andrea Dubourg already had the occasion to show his level of performance with his third place in Super1600 at Lohéac in September last year. Last weekend, on a circuit he was discovering, the driver of RA Racing has reminded the European drivers that they could count on him. With some good timing from the very beginning, Andrea and his Clio Super1600 increased the pace throughout the weekend before coming out with the big guns. Winner in the semi-final, Andrea positioned himself on pole position in the final. More reactive at the start, Andrea leaded the race and handled perfectly his race. The passage at the Joker Tower was to be decisive and the pilot of the Clio Super1600 lost the lead but fought bravely thus stepping on the second step of the podium.
“What a race! Looking back, it was an incredible weekend for the whole team. Whether at the management of the race, the choice of tunings, the use of wet tyres (Coopers), we had to apprehend everything rapidly. Fitness wise, I was slightly disappointed by my Saturday evening performance because the Clio 2 Super 1600 lacked in nerviness. We put our heads together with the technical staff to revise the adjustments and on Sunday morning, during the warm-up, I rediscovered a competitive car. I was fully trustful and all was needed of me was concentration on my driving to win the semi-final and reach a pole position for the final. I took a very good start and maintained it up to the Jocker Lap in the last round. There, I was slowlier than usual and ended up fighting for the second place. The gaps are very small between the fastest and no mistake is allowed at this level of competition. I am at the second place for the Euro RX. Never would I have imagined such beginnings, this weekend in Portugal has allowed us to have real ambitions in this European Championship.”