Nissan Tiidas take 1-2 finish

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NISSAN Tiidas take 1-2 finish-- China Touring Car Championship Round ３ Race Report --

July 26th, Shanghai F1 CircuitThe third round of the Chinese Touring Car Championship (CTCC) got underway on the short course of the Shanghai F1 circuit in Shanghai, China with the two Nissan Tiidas from the Dongfeng Nissan Ghiasports team competing in the 1600cc class race finishing 1st and 2nd.



Round three of the 2009 CTCC took place at the site of the opening round when the series returned to the Shanghai F1 circuit. Qualifying took place in hot conditions with temperatures of 32 degrees and a track surface measured at 42 degrees. Driving the #1 Tiida, Guo Haisheng set the top time in qualifying while his teammate Lin Lifeng in the #2 Tiida was 6th on the grid with 50kg handicap weight onboard.

The actual race got underway on a clear summer's day and from the start the pole-sitting #1Tiida approached the first turn accompanied by the #5 VW Polo, #4 Kia Serato, #3 Kia Cerato, #6 VW Polo and the #2 Tiida. On lap two the #2 Tiida overtook the #6 VW Polo, moving up into 5th position. The #5 VW Polo was hot on the heels of the leading #1 Tiida, the NISSAN guarding its position lap after lap. However, as the leaders passed some backmarkers on lap 9, the Tiida dropped out of the lead. In the #1 NISSAN, a calm and composed Guo concentrated on tyre wear whilst waiting for the opportunity to recover the position. That chance came on lap 21 when once more he passed the #5 VW Polo, taking back the lead.

The #2 Tiida was in 5th position early on, climbing up to 4th place soon after. Then on lap 23, the NISSAN moved into 3rd place and looked toward the final stages of the race. The two Tiidas were on either side of the #4 KIA, running in 1st and 3rd positions as they passed the checkered flag. However, after the race, the #1 Tiida and the 2nd-placed #4 KIA Cerato were each handed a 15-second penalty, moving the #2 Tiida to 2nd. This was the Tiida's first victory of the season.

Reigning champion Guo commented: "I'm feeling really happy. I'm proud to be racing as part of the Dongfeng Nissan Ghiasports team and am thankful to everyone for a wonderful car and also to all our sponsors. I will of course race to the best of my ability in the remaining 3 rounds and intend to finish as champion".

* China Touring Car Championship (CTCC)The touring car series held in China was known as the CCC (China Circuit Championship) series until 2008. The Dongfeng Nissan Ghiasports team is represented in the 1600cc class with a pair of NISSAN Tiidas, with Nissan/Nismo providing engineering support. This year's championship takes place over 6 races at the following circuits: Shanghai F1, Shanghai Tianma, Beijing and Guangdong.

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The base road car versions of the Nissan Tiidas entered in CTCC are manufactured at Dongfeng Nissan, located in the Cantonese province of Guangzhou, China and tuned by the Ghia Sports Team, based in the Cantonese city of Zhuhai. The car's1600cc engine is tuned by NISMO for racing, with more focus on maximizing controllability rather than power. Tiida has a lower centre of gravity than its predecessor, and the tyres have been replaced with 17-inch units to increase cornering speed.

NISSAN TIIDA(CTCC-spec)Overall length 4,205mmOverall width 1,695mmVehicle weight 1,015kgDisplacement 1598ccMaximum output Over 160ps

[AZhitman]

DAMN those look sweet!

[NEEd2Sp33d]

what kind of kit is that???