Mike Halder wins Valencia opener
Mike Halder (Honda) claimed the victory in the first TCR Spain race of the weekend at Valencia.
Halder took the lead at the start, followed by Sten-Dorian Piirimagi (Honda) and Jenson Brickley (Cupra). The Briton overtook the Estonian for second place on the first lap.
Monlau Motorsport driver Eric Gené (Cupra) sat in fourth place, with Victor Fernández (Honda) right behind.
Michael Markussen (Honda) was an early retirement from the race due to a blown engine.
Gené started mounting the pressure on Piirimagi for third place after ten minutes of race, with both gradually also gaining in Brickley, as Halder opened a gap at the front.
The safety car was called into action as Bordás stopped on the track at Turn 3, retiring from the race.
The race was relaunched with enough time to do two flying laps, with Brickley attacking Halder at the restart.
Further back, Marco Aguilera (Hyundai i30 N) overtook Sebstien Thome (Audi) to claim seventh place.
Halder won as the chequered flag fell ahead of Brickley and Piirimagi. Gené was fourth ahead of Fernández and Savoldelli.
Aguilera finished seventh, with Thome and Sergio Casalins right behind. René Povlsen (Honda), who started at the back of the grid due to an engine change, completed the top ten.
“The team gave me a really good car and I was able to stay ahead despite the extra weight,” Halder told TouringCarTimes after the race.
The second race of the weekend starts at 11:50 CEST on Sunday.
