3.10.2005
Bad luck after good qualifying

Chevrolet showed a strong performance in Saturday's qualifying for the World Touring Car Championship in Valencia, Spain, with Rob Huff finishing fourth. Nicola Larini was the only Chevrolet driver to finish one of the two races on Sunday.

Rounds 17 and 18 of the 2005 World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) took place in Valencia, Spain.

Chevrolet showed a strong performance in Saturday's qualifying session: After changing the set up of the car, Chevrolet Lacetti driver Rob Huff, finished the qualifying in fourth position -- Chevrolet's highest qualifying rank yet in the 2005 World Touring Car Championship. His teammates, Nicola Larini and Alain Menu, finished tenth and twelfth, respectively.

In Sunday's first race, Rob Huff made a solid start before he was deliberately pushed in the grass by Rickard Rydell (Seat). The damage to the car was so severe that it was impossible to repair the vehicle in time for the second race. Alain Menu was just as unfortunate, also falling victim to another driver's questionable driving. At the end of the first lap, he was pushed by Adriano De Micheli (Honda). The car was damaged so seriously that Menu was unable to continue the race. Menu's car could not be fixed in time for the second race, either.

Nicola Larini showed a strong performance in the first race. His objective was to finish either seventh or eighth, guaranteeing him and Chevrolet a first-ever front-line starting position for the second race, as the top eight finishers of race one start in reverse order in race two. Larini duly delivered, despite bodywork damage, and finished seventh, making it the fifth consecutive points-scoring weekend for Chevrolet.

In the second race, an electrical problem shut off his engine and caused the cockpit to fill up with smoke and the end of the first lap, which forced him to retire.

The final two rounds of the 2005 WTCC are scheduled to take place in Macau, China, on November 20.