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Rob Huff ignites CTCC title bid with victory in Race 1 at Wuhan

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Rob Huff has won the first race of the weekend from pole position at Wuhan, and has now leapt to third in the drivers’ championship, the best-placed of the SAIC VW333 Racing drivers despite this being his third weekend from seven events.

The 37-year-old, who is the only international wild card competing this weekend, led the way from pole to finish 4.5 seconds clear of Leo Yi Hong Li’s Kia K3 2.0T in his Volkswagen Lamando GTS.

Huff’s team-mate Rodolfo Avila finished third, where he started in the #9 Volkswagen, while Changan Ford FRD driver Martin Cao worked his way through to finish fourth, which moves him into the lead of the drivers’ standings.

Cao’s Ford team-mate Rainey He crossed the line just two seconds behind, with the two Beijing Senovas of brothers Juan Carlos and David Zhu some distance behind.

Reigning champion Zheng Zhen Dong was eighth in his Volkswagen, while the Kia of Jason Zhang and the Haima M6 of He Zi Xian completed the top ten.

Cao has now moved into the lead of the championship on 109.5 points, 1.5 points clear of David Zhu, while Huff has now moved up to third on 99 points, just 10.5 behind.

The second race of the weekend, where there’s another 20 points available, takes place at 13:10 CST (6:10 CET) tomorrow, with the top 12 reversed, dropping Huff to 12th and putting the Ford Focus of Zhang Da Sheng on pole.