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MotoGP Champion Melandri joins Speedcar

Posted on 11. Feb, 2009 by webmestre in Asia, Uncategorized

MotoGP Champion Melandri joins Speedcar

10/02/2009

MotoGP star Marco Melandri will be making his Speedcar Series debut at the Losail International Circuit on February 12-14, 2009.

The World Champion of the 2002 MotoGP (250 cc) will team up with Heinz Harald Frentzen driving for Team Lavaggi. The Italian biker will for the first time be racing a car on a permanent circuit having appeared in a touring car race at the Bologna Motor Show in 2006.

Melandri may be new to car racing but he is familiar with the Losail International Circuit having ridden on the track in the MotoGP. It will be of interest to see how his biking experience will help him in a Speedcar.

Fourteen drivers and seven teams will compete in Speedcar Series’ first night race over the race weekend. The third leg of the season will also see 2 other new drivers, Qataris Ahamad Al Kuwari and Sheikh Fahad Al Thani join the fray.

The two local drivers will form the QMMF (Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation) team. Both drivers will have the advantage of having raced on the track before when competing in the Qatar National Road Racing Championship (QNRRCH).

The driver entry list Speedcar Series Season 2, Round 3 in Qatar is as follows:

Driver                             Country   Car No.   Team
Jacques Villeneuve      CAN          96       Durango
Christopher Zoechling  AUT        25       Durango
Jean Alesi                           FRA         27       HPR
Marchy Lee                          CHN      50       HPR
Johnny Herbert                  GBR      69       JMB
Damien Pasini                      FRA      13       JMB
Gianni Morbidelli                ITA      10       Palm Beach
Thomas Biagi                         ITA      04       Palm Beach
Ahamad Al Kuwari             QAT      95       QMMF Team
Fahad Al Thani                     QAT      59       QMMF Team
Marco Melandri                   ITA      33       Team Lavaggi
Heinz Harald Frentzen      GER      80       Team Lavaggi
Vitantonio Liuzzi                 ITA      20       UP Team
Hasher Al Maktoum           UAE      85       UP Team
Source Speedcar Series

Tags: Speedcar Series 2009, Villeneuve, Week-End Motorsports