Preview

Nash flies east again, this time to Shanghai

Milton Keynes-based World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) racer James Nash has travelled to China this week for the WTCC event on Shanghai’s International Circuit this coming weekend.

James Nash, Ford Focus S2000 TC, Team Aon

Photo by: James M. Holland

The Chinese event is the middle of three late season WTCC race meetings in the Far East. Two weeks ago he was in Japan and in two weeks time he will be flying to Macau for the season finale. Further, before Japan Nash flew back and forth between the USA and Brazil for races on the American continents.

With six ten hour-long flights involved just for the three Asian events, Nash could be excused for feeling less than enthusiastic about another long haul trip, but not a bit of it.

James Nash: “ Travel is one of my ‘things’. I really enjoy travelling to different places and experiencing a different culture. China is one of my favourites too. One of my main sponsors vGroup International has a Chinese-based associated company and I was out in China earlier this year in connection with that so going back out there so soon afterwards is great.”

“I haven’t though raced in China before so that is going to be a new experience for me and I’m particularly excited that we’re going to be racing on the now-famous Shanghai F1 circuit.”

"I’m hopeful that we can have a better weekend with the Team Aon Ford Focus this time out mindful that the last few race weekends haven’t gone exactly to plan. I think the cooler conditions we anticipate in China will help us, though I’m aware I said the same before Japan and myself and teammate Tom Chilton must have been the only ones disappointed at Suzuka that the air temperature was 20 plus degrees!”

Saturday Qualifying and Sunday’s two races will be shown live on British Eurosport. Qualifying coverage stars at 0730 (UK) with Sunday’s race action beginning at 0715 (UK).