The debut of the Seat León Eurocup will be one of the highlights at the upcoming World Touring Car Championship meeting taking place at Valencia’s Cheste track on 17-18 May. No less than 30 drivers will match their skills in the maiden race, whose grand prize is unique in world racing competitions – the winner of the races in Valencia will compete in the next event, in Pau, but as a World Championship contender at the wheel of a León WTCC.
 
It is therefore no surprise that the spectacular success of this Seat León Eurocup has received registration requests from almost 100 interested teams. The list of registrants includes drivers from 10 countries: Spain, Italy, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Portugal, Czech Republic, Ireland, Russia and Croatia, a total of 16 teams.
 
The turnout is quite high when considering it is the first edition of this competition. The newly created Eurocup comes after the successes obtained by the León Supercopa, into its seventh edition in 2008, and being held this year in Spain, England, Germany, Hungary and Italy. Besides, the Europcup is not only different from other competitions for its prizes, but because it is the only single brand event whose races are broadcast live by Eurosport throughout all of Europe.
 
Well-known for their performance at several WTCC or Seat León Supercopa races, some familiar drivers will be Italy’s Massimiliano Pedala, England’s Tom Boardman, Portugal’s Lourenço Beirao, Hungary’s Norbert Kiss and Gabor Weber, winner and runner-up at Hungary’s Supercopa, and Spain’s Oscar Nogués, Antonio Aristi and Rafael Villanueva.
 
This all lends an overwhelming international flavour to the Eurocup, and confirms SEAT’s objective of offering its drivers all the possible stepping stones in the Touring Car events – the same drivers competing at the national Supercopa races can go on to race at the Eurocup, and at least six of these will eventually compete in the WTCC.
 
Event data
Event: Eurocup 2008. 1st & 2nd races
Venue: Cheste, Valencia
Lenght: 4.005 km. Two races (14 laps each)
 
Timing
 
Friday, 16th may
12.30 – 13.00: Free practice 1
18.00 – 18.30: Free practice 2
 
Saturday, 17th may
10.00 – 10.30: Qualifying practice
14.20 – 14.50: 1st race (14 laps)
 
Sunday, 18th may
13.05 – 13.35: 2ª Carrera (14 laps)
 
SEAT LEON EUROCUP
Innovative stepping stone towards the world championship
 
The Seat León Eurocup, is one more level offered by Seat Sport to its customers on their way up the touring car ladder, which features innovative ideas that had never before been put into racing practice.
 
With races held at six of the European meetings of the WTCC in Spain, France, Germany, Portugal, England and Italy, the Eurocup features a revolutionary prize system. The winner of each race can compete at the next WTCC event at the wheel of a Seat León WTCC. Six Eurocup drivers will have the chance, and the prize for the final winner will be to race at the European Cup.
 
Two races are held at each Eurocup meeting. The weekend winner (the sum of both races) will race at the next WTCC event and not take part in the Eurocup. In order to guarantee that the maximum number of drivers possible can take part in the WTCC, this prize is not cumulative, that is, no driver can compete twice at the WTCC. If a driver wins more than once at the Eurocup, the runner-up will participate at the WTCC.
 
So that all participants have the same chances, the Eurocup rules will take into account all the results except for two of the participants. This will compensate those drivers who have not competed in any of the races due to their participation in the WTCC.
 
This way Seat Sport offers touring car drivers an unparallel opportunity - the chance to compete at a national event and the Eurocup, race at the WTCC and finish the season racing at the European Cup.