 ROAD RACING |
BTCC � Honda Breaks Through
Knockhill, Edinbrough, Scotland, May 14 — Honda. Finally!
Gabriele Tarquini delivered Honda its first win in this year's British Touring Car Championship, scoring a lights-to-flag victory in the eighth round of the series at Knockhill this weekend. The Japanese manufacturer looked to be having another disastrous day in the seventh round, Tarquini crashing out after colliding with Anthony Reid and Tom Kristensen and James Thompson out-classed by the Ford Mondeo Team that raced to another 1-2-3 result.
Honda's return to victory lane is small consolation for the Japanese manufacturer that is currently playing third fiddle in the three-way manufacturer scrap. Ford is on dominant form, scoring a 2-3 in the second race behind Tarquini and only missed out on fourth when Swiss Alain Menu threw off his Mondeo eight laps from the end while running second.
It was a measure of strength that his two teammates picked up the points to open out a 64-point lead in the manufacturers table. Rickard Rydell and Anthony Reid head the drivers' championship with Reid in third and the team is just two points behind Vauxhall in the teams' table.
The first race of the day saw Honda's Kristensen driving through the field to fifth position after having his qualifying times disallowed for running an illegal rear wing. He was up to eighth by the first corner before the emergence of the Safety Car to retrieve Tarquini's stricken Accord.
Vincent Radermecker was another to start at the back in his Vauxhall and followed Kristensen through the field, taking the Dane on the fourth lap but losing the place again on the next tour. Kristensen passed his teammate James Thompson at the final corner to claim fifth, but no one could stick with the flying Mondeos, Independent runner Matt Neal finishing 11sec down on winner Rickard Rydell who had led from the start.
However, in the second race of the day it was a different story, Tarquini keeping his nerve to finally add Honda to the list of winners so far this year. The Italian fended off an early-race challenge from Alain Menu's Ford and motored off into the distance, winning by a comfortable 16sec from Rydell. Menu spun out of second position, handing second position to James Thompson, competing for the first time since his sizable accident in the opening meeting at Brands Hatch. The Honda driver was subsequently disqualified for a ride-height infringement, handing second and third to the Ford drivers. Kristensen retired with a broken driveshaft.
The series moves on to Oulton Park in two weeks.
Race Results, BTCC, Knockhill:
— Cormack Fallon (Photo: www.f1picturenet.com)
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