4.9.2006
From 24th to 1st: Huff scores historic victory
At yesterday's race in Brno, Chevrolet driver Rob Huff scored his first World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) victory – and this, having started from 24th position on the grid. Never before in the history of the WTCC did a winning driver start further back. Huff’s and Chevrolet’s supremacy on this track were further emphasized by Alain Menu finishing in sixth in race one, and Nicola Larini finishing in seventh in race two, having started in 27th on the grid.
At the end of the qualifying proceedings, both Huff and Larini were put to the back on the grid as a result of a double penalty for overtaking under waved yellow flags in qualifying and for having changed the engine.
All three Chevrolet drivers took blinding starts to race one. While Alain Menu kept the other contenders strategically behind him until the last lap, Rob Huff slowly crept up the leader board. Twelfth by lap 3, 11th by lap 6 and 8th by lap 8. Huff stayed in eighth until the finish – good for pole position spot in race two – while Menu let Seat driver Tom Coronel by at the very end of the race, thus finishing in seventh and being guaranteed a spot on the grid alongside Huff on row one.
With a first all-Chevrolet front row, there were only happy faces in the pits at the finish of the first race. “It all came together nicely,” an elated Huff said. “The car was very good, the grip was good; I had some understeer but not too bad. Our car seems to like this track with its flowing line. Of course we were helped in the uphill part by the fact that we weren’t carrying any extra weight, but nevertheless I think my car was one of the best out there. From the word go I could just pick them off one by one quite easily. Turn 10 seemed to be my favorite as I passed most cars there. I have to thank the boys at RML for having built me a super car.”
Menu had an excellent race as well: “I got hit by a BMW at the start which gave the car some understeer, but other than that it all worked out fine. In the first half of the race it was difficult to keep the others behind me, but in the second part the car worked better. I deliberately let Coronel by on the last lap in order to drop a place and finish in seventh, good for a first row starting position in race two.”
Nicola Larini’s race was maybe not as successful as that of the other two Chevrolet drivers, but he also made up sixteen places.
In race two, Huff did what he set out to do: take a solid start and lead from green lights to finish flag, despite the constant pressure of reigning World Champion, Andy Priaulx. Menu dropped a place at the start, but got sideswiped off the track and out of the race by Jorg Müller. Nicola Larini, meanwhile, made up lost ground to finish in seventh.
The next stop of the 2006 WTCC is at Istanbul in three weeks time.
BRNO RACE 1 RESULTS
1. J Müller (BMW) 10 laps (54.030kms) in 22m39s066
2. A Zanardi (BMW) + 1s729
3. Y Muller (SEAT) + 2s765
4. J Gené (SEAT) + 6s340
5. A Priaulx (BMW) + 6s788
7. A Menu (Chevrolet) + 11s788
8. R Huff (Chevrolet) + 13s026
11. N Larini (Chevrolet) + 18s830
19. V Radermecker (Chevrolet) + 28s632
22. R Bastuck (Chevrolet) + 40s883
BRNO RACE 2 RESULTS
1. R Huff (Chevrolet) 10 laps (54.030kms) in 22m36s004
2. A Priaulx (BMW) + 0s631
3. Y Muller (SEAT) + 7s583
4. J Müller (BMW) + 7s774
5. D Müller (BMW) + 9s799
7. N Larini (Chevrolet) + 10s973
13. V Radermecker (Chevrolet) + 24s787
20. R Bastuck (Chevrolet) + 39s895
DNF A Menu (Chevrolet) Accident damage (5 laps)