Casper Elgaard wins from pole
Former champion Casper Elgaard won the first qualification heat today from pole at round 5 of The Danish touring Car Championship, making the most of his pole position and light Seat Leon. Michel Nykjær and James Thompson followed on the next places. From the rolling start, Elgaard shot forward and made sure not to be hunted down from the chasing blue Chevrolet of Nykjær. Thompson tried to find a hole and get past Nykjær, but the door was closed.
After the horseshoe turn, Kasper Jensen braked too late and hit the side of Invitation Only driver Martin Marrill, breaking the suspension on the latter. Safetycar was deployed, collecting the field. Positions were as follows:
1/ Casper Elgaard
2/ Michel Nykjær
3/ James Thompson
4/ Jan Magnussen
5/ Jason Watt
6/ Henrik Lundgaard
After 5 laps out of the total 15, the safetycar let the field loose, and without hesitation Magnussen attacked Thompson, in the battle for third. But the Brit managed to stay put, but not for long. Magnussen proved that Thompson’s Honda Accord was fighting the ballast and the Dane went past.
On lap 8 Elgaard had opened up a massive lead, while the fight for the privateer cup made Michael Carlsen´s Peugeot 407 go past Jens Reno Møller¨s Seat Leon in the battle for tenth spot.
Kristian Poulsen was forced to park his BMW 320i E90 beside Marrill at the start of the new track section, while Invitation Only driver Jens Ole Mathiesen also made it to the pits, with what looked like a fuel pressure problem.
Jason Watt had caught Thompson, and moved his white Seat past the Englishman who was in fourth spot. As soon as Watt had made this pass, Magnussen was his next victim, the disabled driver was all over the Magnussen green BMW.
This fight went on to the flag, with a stunning last attempt side by side. Tire smoking blasting out from both cars, Magnussen was the fastest one and secured fourth in the first heat of the day.
Elgaard wins in front of Nykjær, who needs every point possible to win the title over Thompson, who was down in fifth spot. For the privateers cup it was Per Poulsen for Hartmann Honda, while Invitation Only it was the sole entry left; John Hansen who will claim maximum points as Marrill is unable to repair his car.
”It couldn’t have turned out any better than this,“ Casper grins. “Pole position and the first win for the team. It was really great, after a somewhat dubious season. We are so much better here than at Padborg Park, where my teammate Jens Reno Møller took third.
“I hope for a victory in the final. But it would require that we start from the front after heat 2.”
Next session is qualification heat 2, which will start 16.10 after the grid show.
