Elite Division: Vilarino
leads ahead of crucial final stages
Blois, France – With the regular season over and the play-offs underway, double points are up for grabs in the final two EURO-RACECAR NASCAR Touring Series meetings at Valencia (Spain, 29-30 September) and Le Mans (France, 13-14 October). Ander Vilarino will arrive on home turf as championship leader, but the Spaniard faces strong opposition from rivals Roman Thiévin and Javier Villa. It would take a brave gambler to place money on the outcome of this battle.
The development of the Elite titletussle is quite different from that of the Open division. While consistency is key in the latter, here it must be combined with performance. Vilarino (#2 TFT-Banco Santander) is the perfect illustration of this, finishing in the top-three in all but one race since the season-opener at French venue Nogaro. Vilarino has a total of five wins and two second places in eight events and, as a result, enjoys 34 point lead over Thiévin (#99 Still Racing-Exotics Racing) with Villa (#64 Gonneau Racing) a further 12 in arrears.
The Frenchman and the Spaniard have emerged as Vilarino’s chief contenders to succeed Eric Hélary as series champion this year. Having finished 2011 as runner-up Thiévin, has scored a pole position at Brands Hatch and finished in the top three on sixoccasions in 2012, but a victory has thus far eluded him.
This is in contrast to Villa, who stood on the top step at the Brands Hatch 200 endurance race, becoming the first driver to beat Vilarino in 2012. However at Spa he hit bad luck, despite switching teams from TFT to Gonneau Racing and putting in a superb performance. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old can take some comfort from the fact that he still dominates the junior classification.
It shouldn’t be assumed that this trio will form the top-three at the end of the season. Mathematically, the last two rounds could provide their share of surprises with several drivers still in touch with the leaders. Romain Iannetta (#25 Orhès Competition) is 79 points adrift in ninth place, but has the privilege of being one of just three race winners in 2012, while Dimitri Enjalbert (#33 OverDrive) has recorded two podiums and six top-10 finishes to sit fourth, just seven points behind Villa.
The finishing order of the top five is also far from being decided, with Antoine Lioen (#05 Rapido Racing) only three points behind Enjalbert thanks to six top-10 finishes, including four top-five results. Romain Fournillier (#11 OverDrive-McDonald's) was the revelation of Tours Speedway, claiming pole position and leading 50laps of the Michelin 100. He has seven top-10 finishes, though only one of those was inside the top-five, and is currently ranked sixth, three points behind Lioen.
Next up are Wilfried Boucenna (#17 Pole Position 81), Freddy Nordström (#44 Orhès Competition), Iannetta and Carole Perrin (#42 Autosport 42), who trail the leader by 68, 73, 79 and 82 points respectively. Finally, Bruno Cosin leads the Challenger Trophy in 12th place.
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