Chevrolet 1-2-3 in Porto Race One

Chevrolet turned their 1-2-3 qualifying into a 1-2-3 on the podium. Alain Menu led the field for the entire race – which included six laps behind the safety car – and came home victorious, followed by Rob Huff and Nicola Larini.

Off the line Huff and Menu were side by side but the Swiss man held his position. Gabriele Tarquini of SEAT Sport overtook Tom Coronel for fourth position.

Augusto Farfus from BWM Team Germany overtook James Thomspon’s Alfa Romeo 156 for ninth and the pair had a brief battle before Farfus pulled away.

On the same lap the Brazilian sent Alex Zanardi’s car into a spin at turn 11. Zanardi he rejoined and eventually finished 16th.

Lap two saw a pile-up involving a handful of Independent. Emmet O’Brien crashed into the tyres at turn 13 and as Sergio Hernández came around the corner he ploughed into the Irishman’s green machine.

With two cars blocking the track Roberto Colciago too crashed into them and had to retire. Maurizio Ceresoli and Miguel Freitas narrowly avoided race-ending damage.

The safety car was out for six laps as the cars were removed. On the restart Menu and Huff got away cleanly but Larini’s acceleration was not as successful, therefore he had to defend from Tarquini through several corners.

On the same lap Olivier Tielemans crashed at turn 10 and stopped at the side of the track. Jörg Müller also had a mishap; at the chicane on lap 11 he hit the exit but no serious damage was done and he continued to cross the line eighth to claim pole for Race two.

Fellow BMW driver Andy Priaulx will line up alongside him after passing the chequered flag seventh.

On the final lap Yvan Muller successfully overtook Tom Coronel to secure fifth.

The winner of the Independent category was Stefano D’Aste of Wiechers-Sport who was classified as 11th overall, ahead of Michel Jourdain and Independents’ Trophy leader Pierre-Yves Corthals.