Photo: WTCC Media

Priaulx takes victory at second race at Zolder

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Andy Priaulx took a lights to flag victory at Zolder, finishing ahead of Chevrolet’s Rob Huff & SR-Sport’s Tiago Monteiro.

There was a drama right from the start as mechanics rushed to ensure Gené got out before the pits closed, but as the parade lap got away, the spaniard fell to the back with a slow moving car and pulled into the pits to not even start the race, after winning race one.

Starting from pole, Andy made the best getaway, whilst a handful of SEAT’s, including front row sitter Norbert Michelisz made terrible starts. Tom Coronel and right behind him, Pierre-Yves Corthals also had poor getaways. That allowed Robert Huff easily up to second, and Tiago Monteiro climbed to third.

Huff had his best shot at passing Priaulx at the end of lap one, but after that didn’t get too close to the BMW Team RBM driver again, and had to settle for second.

Monteiro ended up the top of the SEAT’s with third.

On lap 4, there was a scary moment as the front wheel of Harry Vaulkhard’s Bamboo Engineering Chevrolet came loose, and Harry flew off into the gravel trap.

The following lap, independent’s class leader Kristian Poulsen is passed by Fredy Barth’s SEAT, and straight through went Sergio Hernandez to take the independent lead. The two would fight hard for the remainder of the race, but in the end, Hernandez took the Yokohama Trophy class victory.

On lap 7, Michael Nykjaer went wide in the SUNRED SEAT after leaping the kerbs, and retired. Team mate Fredy Barth also went out on the last lap, losing his hard fought ninth place.

On the penultimate lap, Augusto Farfus, who had been right on the tail of Tarquini for several laps attempted to pass around the outside of the first corner, but the SEAT driver pushed the BMW driver wide, and Norbert Michelisz was able to move up into seventh, and cement his position as top independent.

Farfus drove hard to try and regain the place, but would eventually have to settle for eighth, to complete a low scoring weekend.

The next round of the championship is in two weeks in Portugal.