Bamboo Engineering will be hoping to have their most competitive weekend in the World Touring Car Championship yet at Zolder, where they make the switch to the 1.6 litre turbo-powered Chevrolet Cruze.
The opening round of the season in Brazil was a case of damage limitation for the team and drivers Darryl O'Young and Yukinori Taniguchi as it ran the normally-aspirated Chevrolet Lacettis for the final time.
The team collected their two new Cruze models from the RML factory at Wellingborough last week. The two cars were given a shakedown by Chevrolet team driver Alain Menu at a nearby airfield. Team Principal Richard Coleman is hoping to enjoy a competitive first race weekend with the cars in Belgium.
“We are very pleased, as now we can look forward to regaining our competitiveness,” he said. “We appreciate the huge effort that RML and Chevrolet have made to get these cars ready for this weekend. The shakedown went well and the cars are now ready to go. Darryl and Yuke will get their first run in the cars in Friday's test and I'm sure they will adapt very well and quickly get up to speed.”
O'Young will be hoping the Cruze can help him to contend for Yokohama Trophy honours, having narrowly missed out on the trophy in his maiden season in 2010.
“I'm really excited about getting the Cruze,” said O'Young. “I'm sure we can now push forward and make a strong challenge for the Yokohama Trophy.”
Taniguchi, who is competing in his first full season in the WTCC, said: “I learned a great deal last year and with the Cruze I'm looking forward to some more wins in the trophy.”
