WTCC Calendar 2013.......Version2.2

It doesn’t matter how many years you have been in motorsport, jet lag will still treat you the same as it treats someone who has just started in this business. It’s a silent voice in your head that wakes you up at 4am when you arrive at a race and tells your eyelids to start growing heavy at 4pm. Obviously that is not an option so you just have to work through it. I’m reliably informed that you get back one hour of time difference per day when you are abroad and the same when you get back home.
Despite my frequent travels, I now have very bad jet lag from my trip to the USA and also have a horrible cough and cold which I have brought back home with me, I am already useing my second box of tissues and my nose is very sore.

I have just seen a revised calendar for next year and it has put a smile on my face. Version1.1 was definitely not attractive to me and the other Truckies.

Please read this blog entry;  http://racetruckie.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/41300-kilometres-and-counting.html

I am praying that the first race in Spain will be at a different track, not Valencia, for the sake of the fans more than anyone else. And it looks like we will be doing 13 races rather than the 12 in this years calendar. Where we could possibly go to between Italy and Slovakia? I really do not know.
The gap between Portugal and Brazil does seem rather a long time but the Italian(organisers), do seem to like their holidays!
Also, Shanghai seems to be before Suzuka.?????? I think that this is a typing error on the FIA website which is where I got my information.
The present world economy is a major consideration when it comes the WTCC calendar. Spain and Portugal seem to be in the news everyday, concerning their economic status. The rest of Europe is not in a brilliant position either. The cost involved for the teams, the organisers, the circuits and the television company is HUGE. And whilst I know that the WTCC is still gaining momentum around the world, everybody is struggling to find the money to go racing. This has been very noticeable in the paddock this year. Teams have not been spending as much money on new equipment, wheel rims, bodywork, tyres for testing, boarding for the garages, etc. Motor sport is one of the last businesses to suffer when a recession happens and it is the last to get back on its feet when the economy picks up again.
Anything that the Truckies can suggest to help their respective teams save money for next years racing will definitely help. When it comes to the logistics of moving everything around, we have a much better understanding than maybe someone sat in an office in the teams factory.

10/03 SPAIN.....to be confirmed
24/03 ITALY Monza
07/04 ?????.....to be confirmed
28/04 SLOVAKIA Slovakiaring
05/05 HUNGARY Hungaroring
19/05 AUSTRIA Salzburgring
09/06 RUSSIA Moscow Raceway
30/06 PORTUGAL Porto
21/07 BRAZIL Curitiba
15/09 USA Sonoma
13/10 CHINA Shanghai    I SUSPECT THIS SHOULD SAY SUZUKA !!!!!!!!!
27/10 JAPAN Suzuka       
17/11 MACAU Macau

I am sure that the WTCC calendar, Version3.3 will not be too far away. In the meantime, I just want to get rid of my cold and cough with some pills and vitamin C.