Race 2 : The champion strikes back

Tarquini wins, Gené second, Menu third

By

7 March 2010 - 20:12
Race 2 : The champion strikes back

Reigning champion Gabriele Tarquini led SR-Sport team mate Jordi Gené across the line for a SEAT León TDI one-two, over 5-seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Chevrolet’s Alain Menu rounded out the podium.

After the earlier downpour, Race 2 was a different story with a dry track and bright sunshine. Poleman Tom Coronel had a terrible start ending in the gravel at turn one after contact with Rob Huff and then slowly creeping back to the pits.

Gené took over the lead with Tarquini, Huff, Menu and Muller behind. After making a bad start Augusto Farfus made contact with fellow BMW Team RBM racer Andy Priaulx off the start with the latter making it back to the pits but also out of the race due to the damage sustained. Farfus then ran wide at the Esse de Baixa dropping from his third grid spot down to seventh.

On lap three Tarquini made his move for the lead, taking the inside line through the Esse de Baixa and moving ahead of Gené.

Tarquini and Gené began to pull out in front with the three Chevrolet’s of Huff, Menu and Muller behind. Huff began to drop back and eventually Menu and Muller both capitalised demoting the Brit to fifth. Huff then began to feel pressure from behind with Farfus, Tiago Monteiro and Michel Nykjær all chasing him for position.

The final order across the line was Tarquini from Gené, Menu, Muller, Huff, Farfus, Monteiro, Nykjær and Michelisz.

Sergio Hernández took his second Independents’ victory of the day rounding out the top ten, despite pressure from Franz Engstler in the closing stages. Nykjær’s eighth place finish also gave him the Rookie Challenge win.

After the damage sustained from an incident in Race 1, Andrei Romanov was the only driver not to make the start of Race 2.

Pos. Driver Car Time
01 G. Tarquini Seat Leon TDI 20m13.311s
02 J. Gene Seat Leon TDI + 1.276s
03 A. Menu Chevrolet Cruze + 5.407s
04 Y. Muller Chevrolet Cruze + 5.985s
05 R. Huff Chevrolet Cruze + 8.295s
06 A. Farfus BMW 320si + 8.596s
07 T. Monteiro Seat Leon TDI + 10.419s
08 M. Nykjaer Seat Leon TDI + 11.808s
09 N. Michelisz Seat Leon TDI + 17.576s
10 S. Hernandez BMW 320si + 24.244s
11 F. Engstler BMW 320si + 24.643s
12 M. Bennani BMW 320si + 30.072s
13 H. Vaulkhard Chevrolet Lacetti + 30.923s
14 F. Barth Seat Leon TDI + 39.780s
15 S. D’Aste BMW 320si + 40.328s
16 D. O’Young Chevrolet Lacetti + 40.481s
17 T. Coronel Seat Leon TDI 13 LAPS
18 A. Priaulx BMW 320si 14 LAPS
Best Lap G. Tarquini Seat Leon TDI 1m25.803s

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