September 23rd China, Beijing Goldenport International Circuit
Participating in the fifth round for the 1600cc class of the China Circuit Championship (CCC) on the outskirts of Beijing, the two Nissan Tiida of the Dongfeng Nissan Ghia Sports team finished in 2nd and 3rd place at Golden Port Circuit, making their third visit to the podium in as many races.
With a two-week break after Round 4, the fifth race, held at the same circuit, proved particularly severe, ambient temperatures topping 30 Celsius, and the track surface measured at over 40 degrees: Surprising conditions for the end of September. For the final race, qualifying was held on Saturday, September 22nd. Driving at his absolute limit, driver Lin Lifeng brought the No.2 NISSAN Tiida up to 3rd on the grid. After experiencing driveline trouble, 2006 champion Guo Haisheng in the No.1 Tiida could manage only a 4th-place starting point for Sunday’s race.
The race got off to a clean start, with the pole-sitting No.5 Volkswagen Polo leading the identical No.3 car, followed by the No.2 and No.1 Tiida entries, in hot pursuit at the end of the first lap. Steadily a gap grew between the leading cars and the Nissan entries, though the two Tiida resolutely chased the cars in front. By lap 16, a 90-degree spin on the back straight by the No.3 Polo was all the No.2 Tiida needed to swoop into 2nd place. After getting back on track, the rival car was by now being chased hard by the other Nissan, reigning champion Guo Haisheng remaining calm and waiting for the perfect opportunity. That chance came on lap 24 at the hairpin, and the No.1 car was now securely in third.
The race finished with the No.2 car of Lin Lifeng taking 2nd, while his teammate Guo Haisheng in the No.1 machine was third after they both chased the No.5 Polo hard all the way to the flag. The next and final round of the season is in Shanghai, and it is there that this year’s champion will be crowned.
China Circuit Championship (CCC)
Nissan/NISMO provides technical support to the Dongfeng Nissan Ghiasports Team, running two Nissan Tiida entries in the 1600cc class of China’s most prominent touring car series. There are also two privately entered Nissan Sunnys in the 2000cc class. This year’s championship is comprised of six rounds, held at circuits in Zhuhai, Beijing, Shanghai. 2 races scheduled in Chengdu has been changed to be held in Beijing. The 1600cc class permits only drivers from China, and is used as a way to nurture Chinese talent. The class also has a lot of freedom in terms of technical regulations, with loose restrictions on modifying cars entered in the category. This class is set to become the biggest and most central category in Chinese touring car-based racing.
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