Photo: Procar

Jason Zhang wins the first race at Guangdong for Kia

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Jason Zhang won the first race of the day for the second weekend of the China Touring Car Championship at the Guangdong International Circuit, finishing ahead of the Volkswagen of Jiang Tengyi while his team-mates retired at the start.

Leo Yi and Alex Fontana didn’t complete the first lap in their Kia K3Ss, leaving Zhang, who started third, to battle for the lead in the early stages with Changan Ford FRD Team driver Rainey He.

Rainey eventually lost ground and fell behind the Volkswagen Lamando of Jiang Tengyi, who was Zhang’s only threat for the victory, with Rainey falling 20 seconds back in the Ford Focus.

Zhang won the race, the only one of the four Kias to finish after team-mate Martin Xie retired after a spin on lap eight, with Jiang two seconds behind and Rainey third, with Darryl O’Young fourth for BAIC Senova, putting four different manufacturers in the top four.

Race 2 follows with the top 12 reversed, putting He Zi Yian’s Haima Z1 on pole position ahead of the Ford of James Nash and the BAIC Senova D60 of Juan Carlos Zhu.