GRITTY DRIVE BY MENU BRINGS MORE POINTS IN TURKISH BATH
Fourth Consecutive Point-Scoring Finish In Istanbul
A determined drive by Swiss Chevrolet driver, Alain Menu brought more points in the second Istanbul race, yesterday. At the brand-new, very fast and very hot power-track, a slight set-up change between the two races gave Menu the tool to fight for position in the second race. Nicola Larini and Rob Huff were less fortunate when both of them got hit by other drivers in the first race, and Larini got hit again in the second race.
The weekend proved to be about tyres, as some of the other competitors found out in the first race. No such problems hampered the Chevrolet drivers, but the driving ethics, or lack thereof, of other drivers would cost Larini and Huff dearly. “Ortelli just pushed me off at full throttle,” a very upset Larini said. “When I came back on the track and outbraked Hennerici for position, he just turned into me. This wasn’t just closing the door, it was deliberately trying to take me off. This is crazy!” There was enough damaged done to the car for the crew to have to make lengthy repairs. Larini was sent out again near the end of the first race to see if everything worked fine again for the second. His second race, however, would again last just a few laps when he got hit again, this time damaging the car beyond repair.
Rob Huff was hoping to benefit from the fact that he would be able to start both race on new tyres due to his technical problems in qualifying. At the start of the first race, he moved up from 25th on the grid to 15th on the second lap. “I had a mega-start,” Huff said, “I tucked in behind Alain from the word go, as was the plan, but then someone hit me from behind and the car started to produce massive understeer. It just wouldn’t turn in anymore at all. It’s a shame, because with my tyre situation the car ran just beautifully until I got bumped.” In the second race, Huff clawed his way back to 13th in the second race.
Chevrolet’s hero of the day was Alain Menu. In the first race he moved up from 15th on the grid to 10th at the finish, despite the car not entirely handling to his liking. “The car understeered right from the beginning,” Menu said. “Although I had new tyres, it felt like I was not. I had no grip at all at the front. And just like Nicola I got hit by Ortelli, who was driving like a madman. For the second race we went halfway back to the setup we had tried in this morning’s warm-up and added some rebound at the rear to compensate for the understeer and that was the trick. The car worked well and I could fight for position with guys in front of me.” Two laps from the end Menu passed reigning champion Andy Priaulx for eighth position and the final point in the race, making it four point-scoring weekends in a row.
Chevrolet Europe’s Motorsport Manager, Eric Nève was quite pleased with today’s results. “It is always very nice to score points at the track which typically should have suited us the least. This time there was no rain or mass crash involved like in Spa, but it was through Alain’s driving and David Benbow and his crew’s thinking that we got where we were at the finish. As far as the track is concerned, the Istanbul Otodrom is certainly the most awesome place on the calendar this year, and the organisers put on a perfect show. We are looking forward to the races in Spain.”
ISTANBUL RACE 1 RESULTS
1. F Giovanardi (Alfa Romeo) 10 laps (53.380kms) in 21m12s294 (Average: 150.45kph)2. J Thompson (Alfa Romeo) + 2s7943. A Priaulx (BMW) + 6s1344. A Garcia (BMW) + 6s8935. R Rydell (SEAT) + 8s01810. A Menu (Chevrolet) + 22s80516. R Huff (Chevrolet) + 34s470NCF N Larini (Chevrolet) + 4 laps
ISTANBUL RACE 2 RESULTS (Provisional)
1. G Tarquini (Alfa Romeo) 10 laps (53. 380kms) in 21m07s765 (Average: 150.98kph)2. A Farfus Jr (Alfa Romeo) + 0s2633. A Zanardi (BMW) + 1s1034. J Thompson (Alfa Romeo) + 4s5385. D Müller (BMW) + 5s4238. A Menu (Chevrolet) + 11s53713. R Huff (Chevrolet) + 17s852DNF N Larini (Chevrolet) Accident damage
