He Zi Xian wins Zhuhai Race 2 for Haima ahead of Ford’s Dan Lloyd

He Zi Xian won the second race of the 2017 China Touring Car Championship at Zhuhai, leading from pole position to finish ahead of wild card driver Dan Lloyd, with Senova’s Juan Carlos Zhu completing the podium.

Xian started from pole ahead of the Kia of Jason Zhang after the top 12 were reversed from Race 1, but a poor start from Zhang saw the Ford of Dan Lloyd quickly up into second position, with the Senova of Juan Carlos Zhu in third.

Race 1 winner Wang Rue was an early retirement, following contact with the BAIC Senova of David Zhu, with heavy front end damage on Wang’s Lamando GTS.

On lap four, Zhang was continuing to fall back as he was outflanked by the Volkswagens, with both Rodolfa Avila and Jiang Tengyi making their way through, followed by Darryl O’Young in the Senova.

On the sixth lap, Volkswagen’s Zheng Zhen Dong made a move around Andy Yan’s Ford on lap six for fourth, with Yan now under attack from Tengyi’s Volkswagen. Yan then slowed and would soon retire, allowing the chasing pack of four cars past him, with O’Young leading Rodolfa Avila’s Volkswagen, closely followed by Jason Zhang’s Kia.

By now the Volkswagens now had lost too much ground to the leading quartet, with Yian leading Lloyd, Juan Carlos Zhu and the Ford Focus of Martin Cao.

With three laps to go, Kia’s race went quickly downhill as Martin Xie pulled into to retire, while Andy Zhang stopped out on track in his K3S.

The race ended with Xian taking the victory ahead of Lloyd, with Zhu completing the podium.

Wang Rue’s Race 1 victory means he leads the championship standings on 25 points, three clear of David Zhu and He Zi Yian, tied on 21.

Dan Lloyd leaves China joint-fourth in the standings on 20 points, shared with Volkswagen’s Rodolfo Avila.

The next round of the championship is on June 4th at the Guangdong International Circuit.