DETERMINED LARINI SALVAGES POINTS FROM SPANISH CARNAGE

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DETERMINED LARINI SALVAGES POINTS FROM SPANISH CARNAGE
Huff And Menu Victims Of Accidents

VALENCIA, 2 October 2005 ? After yesterday's brilliant qualifying performance by Rob Huff, it turned out to be a weekend of frustration for the Chevrolet WTCC racing team, with both Huff and Menu falling victim of dangerous driving by other competitors, while Nicola Larini saw his efforts cut short by an electrical problem in race two.

In race one, Rob Huff made a solid start before deliberately being pushed in the grass by Rickard Rydell. ?Rydell came alongside me through the middle of the grid, and then just started pushing me off and into the grass on the start straight,? a very disappointed Huff said. ?I somehow managed to keep the car going in the right direction and got it back on the track. When we arrived at the first left-hander, I was past Rydell and he just him me again on the right rear, sending me into a spin and in the barriers, not without me hitting a couple of other cars first. It's been a long time since I have been hit this hard!? The damage to the car was such that it proved impossible to have it repaired in time for the second race.

Alain Menu was just as unfortunate, also falling victim of questionable driving. ?At the end of the first lap, we arrived at the first left, where the yellow flags were shown for Rob's accident, so I lifted a bit. But despite the yellows, De Micheli just half passed me and started pushing me off, damaging the car to such an extent that it was impossible for me to continue.? Here as well, it proved impossible to have the car repaired in time for the second race, and just like Huff, Menu was listed as a DNS in race two.

Nicola Larini on the other hand had more luck, at least in the first race. ?On the first lap I thought my race would be over any second, as I got hit three times by other competitors,? Larini said. ?But once the dust had settled, I found myself with a perfect car and was able to drive a perfect race.? Larini's mission objective was to finish either eighth or seventh, guaranteeing him and Chevrolet a first-ever front line starting position for the second race, as the top eight finishers of race one start in reverse order in race two. Larini duly delivered, despite bodywork damage, and finished seventh, making it the fifth consecutive drivers' points-scoring weekend for Chevrolet.

Unfortunately, his joy wouldn't last very long in the second race, as an electrical problem shut off his engine and started filling the cockpit with smoke and the end of the first lap.

?It's been a mixed bag of emotions for us,? Chevrolet Europe's Motorsport Manager, Eric N?ve said. ?We were very pleased with yesterday's qualifying performance and hopeful after Nicola's drive in the first race, but it wasn't to be. On the other hand, I'm pleased with the fact that we now have all the technical ingredients in place to regularly fight for top qualifying and racing positions and I'm sure that the team's motivation to deliver will be even bigger when we go to China!?

The final two rounds of the 2005 World Touring Car Championship will take place on 20 November in Macau, China.

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