#17 – Michel Nykjaer #18 – Fredy Barth
The 2009 Yokohama Independents Trophy Champions Sunred Engineering have confirmed Danish Touring Car Champion Michel Nykjaer and former Seat Leon Eurocup driver Fredy Barth in a brace of Seat Leon TDi's.
Nykjaer has a successful record in National Touring Car Series, having claimed the 2007 and 2009 Danish titles along with the FIA European Touring Car Cup, having claimed the honours in 2007, at the wheel of a Seat Leon and 2008 in a Chevrolet Lacetti.
For Barth, his entry was confirmed late in the day and brings the number of Seat Leon TDi's in the Championship to seven. Barth will be making his WTCC Debut at Curitiba, having spent most of his career racing tin tops. He made his racing debut in single seaters, before starting his Seat Leon racing association in 2004, in the German Seat Leon Supercopa, taking a single win.
Barth took a single win en route to third overall in the 2009 Seat Leon Eurocup, and the WTCC will be another step up in class for the 31 year old.
Season Prediction: A steep learning curve for the drivers, but, the team are one of the best and will give the drivers a better chance to progress. Independent wins probable towards the end of the year, could sneak a single point with the new point scoring system.
TCF Driver Predictions:
- Nyjkaer – Could record a couple of points in Championship, middle of the points in the Independents.
- Barth – Bottom of the top 10 in the Independents, may struggle for an outright point.
