Tarquini takes Race 1 victory at Valencia

Muller 2nd, Huff 3rd

By Franck Drui

19 September 2010 - 14:05
Tarquini takes Race 1 victory at (...)

Gabriele Tarquini claimed his fifth win of the season this afternoon with a lights-to-flag victory in Race 1 at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo. Yvan Muller finished second ahead of his Chevrolet teammate Rob Huff while Alain Menu finished eighth to take pole position for Race 2.

Fredy Barth won the Rookie Challenge in seventh and will start alongside Menu on the fron row for the second race of the day. After a race-long battle Kristian Poulsen emerged victorious in the Independents’ class.

Tarquini controlled the rolling start as the pack piled into Turn 1 for the first time. Huff followed in second ahead of Muller, Menu, Jordi Gené and Tiago Monteiro. Augusto Farfus lost out on the start as Barth moved ahead of him and Andy Priaulx’s good start helped him jump them both into P7. Farfus then lost another position to Tom Coronel who had also made a good start to move from 16th to ninth on lap one.

As Tarquini pulled a slight gap out in front, Farfus was pushing Barth for eighth and ultimately Race 2 pole. His BMW Team RBM teammate was also trying to make progress, getting alongside Monteiro and making the move stick to take sixth position. With Priaulx and Monteiro fighting, Barth and Farfus had closed up on the duo and in the action Farfus made a move taking eighth exiting the final corner on lap seven. As Barth fought back the pair came together and Farfus ran wide losing eight positions before returning to the pits with damage to his BMW 320si.

Muller got ahead of his Chevrolet teammate making the order now Tarquini from Muller, Huff, Menu, Gené, Priaulx, Monteiro and Barth.

The battle was on in the Independents’ Trophy with Hernández passing Carol for third. As Carol was re-taking the position, Stefano D’Aste hit the Spaniard sending him into a spin. Following the collision D’Aste lost a wheel and ended in the gravel whilst Hernández pited for repairs.

Carol then moved ahead of O’Young for second in class before setting his sights on Poulsen. Carol passed Poulsen through the final corner to take the class lead, 12th overall, but the Dane re-took the position to claim his fourth category win of the season.

Tarquini took the chequered flag to claim victory in his SEAT León TDI, 0.513s ahead of Muller and Huff. Priaulx brought his BMW home safely in fifth behind Gené and ahead of Monteiro and Barth.

Menu and Barth will make it an all Swiss row for Race 2 later today.

Pos. Driver Car Time
01 G. Tarquini Seat Leon TDI 23m11.124s - 13 laps
02 Y. Muller Chevrolet Cruze +0.513s
03 R. Huff Chevrolet Cruze +6.318s
04 J. Gene Seat Leon TDI +9.949s
05 A. Priaulx BMW 320si +10.544s
06 T. Monteiro Seat Leon TDI +11.666s
07 F. Barth Seat Leon TDI +13.734s
08 A. Menu Chevrolet Cruze +14.521s
09 M. Nykjaer Seat Leon TDI +16.586s
10 T. Coronel Seat Leon TDI +17.217s
11 N. Michelisz Seat Leon TDI +17.929s
12 K. Poulsen BMW 320si +18.434s
13 M. Carol Seat Leon +22.095s
14 D. O’Young Chevrolet Lacetti +25.535s
15 F. Engstler BMW 320si +29.318s
16 A. Romanov BMW 320si +32.595s
17 Y. Taniguchi Chevrolet Lacetti +37.004s
18 A. Farfus BMW 320si +1m37.389s
19 S. Hernandez BMW 320si +2 laps
20 M. Bennani BMW 320si DNF
21 S. D’Aste BMW 320si DNF
Best Lap G. Tarquini Seat Leon TDI 1m45.811s

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