Photo: Gripping Media

Thompson wins chaotic first race

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All seemed alive and well, when the safety car got the Danish Touring Car field ready for race one. The rolling start was about to happen. But in the last turn before the start line, everything went south in a handbag!

James Thompson started from pole, and had the field trailing before the line. Jason Watt was pushed out from his fourth start position into the gravel, and the chaos didn’t stop there. Nobody would back down, and leave each other space to move. So it had to go wrong, and it certainly did. John Nielsen was pushed round, seemingly by Jens Reno Møller. When Nielsen’s orange BMW 320i blocked the track, Michael Carlsen and Kim Morgan Jensen suffered a similar fate.

In two turns, four cars were out, and the safetycar was deployed. Nielsen just returned after a horrendous accident at FDM Jyllandsringen, and this time only went 100 meters before another crash, in which he was an innocent passenger. Per Poulsen entered the pit with a broken radiator and a boot lid which had seen better days. Tom Pedersen also entered the pit, with a broken suspension.

The remanding field was under the safetycars command, and had the following places:

1. James Thompson
2. Michel Nykjær
3. Henrik Lundgaard
4. Jens Reno Møller
5. Joachim Stephansen
6. Martin Jensen
7. Kasper Jensen
8. John Hansen
9. Martin Marrill

The lights went green at the restart, but the field fared a lot more cautious than before. Martin Jensen fought Team Telesikring driver Joachim Stephansen for the points in the privateer championship. But the 19 year old driver defended his position skilfully to the line. After the KP Racing´s mechanics had fought the clock, the silver Mercedes entered the race again. A massive effort, for which the public applauded.

At the front, James Thompson had a massive lead in the Honda, while he was chased by the two Chevrolet Nubira´s of Michel Nykjær and Henrik Lundgaard. Nykjær however managed to catch Thompson. The two Chevrolet’s had a fight of their own; Nykjær fighting Thompson while defending from attacks from Lundgaard.

The chequered flag was out for James Thompson, with Nykjær and Lundgaard making up top three. Jens Reno Møller wins for the privateers while John Hansen takes the Invitation Only honours.

Race two will start 15.05.