Other Series

Suzuka Dream Cup – FIA Alternative Energies Cup

© Nuon Solar Team

While most of our attention will go to the Total 24 Hours of Spa next weekend, there is another endurance race scheduled on the other side of the world. Over eighty cars are entered for the Suzuka Dream Cup, part of the FIA Alternative Energies Cup on July 31/August 1.

Held for the 19th time the Solar Car Race is one of the world’s most famous alternative energy races. Next to Japanese entries there are also teams from Australia and Holland. The Nuon Solar Team, the team that won the World Solar Challenge in Australia in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 as well as finishing second in 2009, will enter the Dutch car at the Suzuka circuit.

Driving the Nuon Solar Team car will be Carlo van Dam. The Dutchman won the Japanese F3 title in 2008 and also raced in the Japanese Super GT Championship. At the end of 2009 Van Dam returned to Japan for the Asian Le Mans Series, in which he raced a Larbre Competition Saleen S7R.

Van Dam is looking forward to the event next weekend. “Nuna5 is a completely different car than the cars which I normally drive. It is therefore a unique experience to drive such a car in Japan.” Van Dam recently tested the car at Zandvoort and despite being completely different he was impressed with the car.

With initiatives like the Michelin Green X Challenge, the introduction of hybrid cars into the sports car and GT racing world and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest also giving more and more attention to alternative energies this race weekend can not be missed on Planetlemans.

More information about the race and updates from the Nuon Solar Team in Japan can be found at:

www.dream-cup.com
http://twitter.com/nuonsolarteam