Gené wins first race at Zolder

Jordi Gené has win his first race since Mexico 2008 at Zolder, after passing team mate Tarquini at the start and remaining unchallenged to take the win.

Gené edged past Tarquini at the start, and took the lead into the first corner, as Yvan Muller managed to pass team mate Alain Menu and move up into third.

The SEAT TDI’s of Monteiro and Coronel also made good starts, with Monteiro moving into fifth, and Coronel up to ninth from 11th.

By the end of the lap, Coronel and Priaulx passed Fredy Barth, moving the dutch driver to eighth, and Priaulx just behind looking at the spot that would give pole position for race two.

Darryl O’Young unfortunately, was caught up in an altercation with the SUNRED SEAT of Michael Nykjaer, and ended up in the gravel trap in the first lap. The incident is under invesigation.

Also under investigation was Gené’s start, apparently moving just ahead of Tarquini at the start line, though no penalty was imposed during the race.

Gené kept his position unchallenged by Tarquini, whilst championship leader Yvan Muller closed in on the Italian on lap 5, but was unable to succeed in passing the SEAT, and dropped back towards team mate Alain Menu by the end of the race.

On Lap 7, Andy Priaulx moved up to eighth for that all important pole for race two, as Coronel fell back.

On Lap 9, Pierre-Yves Corthals lost his independent lead to Krisian Poulsen, who moved ahead to score his first win in the independent’s class.

On the final lap, Sergio Hernandez was also closing in on the Exagon SEAT of Corthals, but went wide exiting the corner, and lost time, and saw a fast closing Mehdi Bennani make contact and take off the BMW’s rear bumper.

Norbert Michelisz won the rookie challenge, holding on to an unchallenged seventh place.