ROB HUFF SAVES HALF A DAY FOR CHEVROLET

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ROB HUFF SAVES HALF A DAY FOR CHEVROLET

Menu, Larini Eliminated in First Lap Incident In Race 1, Huff In Race 2

SILVERSTONE, 15 May 2005 ? British driver Rob Huff saved half a day for Chevrolet in rounds five and six of the 2005 World Touring Car Championship in Silverstone today. Making a blitz start in the first race, he drove an intelligent and consistent race, bringing his car home in 13th. Nicola Larini and Alain Menu had a less fortunate day, both drivers being involved in a first lap incident in race one, eliminating both cars on the spot. While Menu?s car was repairable in the break between the two races, Nicola Larini?s weekend was over.

?I came out of Becketts, behind three cars pushing each other for position,? Alain Menu explained. ?The inevitable happened when one of them spun. I tried to move as far to the right as I could to avoid the spinning car, but I had to move onto the grass where I spun and hit the barriers, taking off the right rear wheel. After the Magny Cours incident and now this one I really hope for some better luck in Imola in two weeks time.? Thanks to a mega effort by the RML team, combining all their forces, Menu?s car was repaired in time for him to take start of the second race, starting from the pitlane.

?I had a good start,? Nicola Larini said. ?Turning onto the back straight, a car had spun and came backwards onto the track when it hit me and pushed me into the barriers, taking off the right front suspension in the process.? The damage was deemed too severe for it to be repairable, so the team concentrated its efforts on getting Menu into race two.

Rob Huff was more fortunate on his home event, at least in the first race. ?I had a great start,? he said. ?I got the power down just right, had lots of grip and I managed to pass at least four cars before the first corner by moving to the outside. Other than that I had just a little misfire, which was probably just a sensor and which is repairable for race two.?

Unfortunately, just like for his team mates in the first race, Huff?s second race wouldn?t last a single lap. Honda driver Colciago pushed the BMW of Garcia into a spin going into Becketts and a charging Huff couldn?t avoid the stationary car. ?There was nothing I could do to avoid him,? a disappointed Huff said. ?The violence of the impact took off the left rear wheel, and my race was over.? Alain Menu, meanwhile, had started from the pitlane and brought his car home a commendable 13th, considering the fact that the team hadn?t had the time to adjust the final set-up of the car.

?This obviously hasn?t been a good weekend for us,? Chevrolet Europe Motorsports Manager, Eric N?ve said. ?I can only repeat what I already said in Magny Cours, and that is that the driving standards of many drivers is well below what I expect at a World Championship level. I think that Chevrolet now has had more than its share of bad luck because once again we will have to spend a lot of time and resources in repairing the cars instead of being able to spend those resources developing to improve our performance for the next race in Imola.?

Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2005 World Touring car Championship take place in Imola, Italy, on May 29th.