Chevrolet Slovakia event summary

One-two win wraps up first visit to Slovakia
Three podium finishes for Cruzes strengthens lead in championships

Race winner Robert Huff, Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T, Chevrolet, second place Yvan Muller, Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T, Chevrolet, third place Gabriele Tarquini, SEAT Leon WTCC, Lukoil Racing Team, Pepe Oriola, SEAT Leon WTCC, Tuenti Racing Team 1st position Yokohama T

Photo by: xpb.cc

SLOVAKIARING, 29 April 2012: It was an exciting, action packed and emotional day for Chevrolet at the Slovakiaring with a one-two finish in Race 2 as Rob Huff took his much awaited first win of the season ahead of Yvan Muller. In Race 1, Alain Menu collected another podium finish, crossing the line in third position.

All three Chevrolet drivers faced some challenging moments during today’s races. In Race 1 Rob Huff was forced off the track, while Yvan Muller was handed a drive through penalty after contact with BMW driver Michelisz. In Race 2, Alain Menu was forced to retire after damage from contact put an end to his race.

Slovak fans came en masse to the first WTCC event in Bratislava and enjoyed a great show on a beautiful sunny day. The Chevrolet team is leaving Bratislava with a consolidated lead in both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ championships and the RML run Cruzes are looking forward to racing at the Hungaroring next weekend.

• QUOTES

Rob Huff (DNF/1st): “I had a great day and it’s exactly what I needed! I never thought I could win Race 2 after the accident in the first race. My car was damaged and repair time was minimal, but the boys did it once again. It was another great show by Chevrolet and RML. I left the pit lane barely seconds before it closed.

“The car was just perfect. I had a great start and kept everything under control. I changed my standing start compared with what I did in Marrakech and it seems to have worked. In Race 1, I was just pushed off the track by one of the BMWs, and then hit by other cars. It resulted in damage to three of the four corners…”

Yvan Muller (11th/2nd): “This was not a great weekend in terms of results, but a good weekend if we look at the championship. In Race 1, I had minimal contact with Michelisz, but he kept the throttle down and went off. I was later sanctioned with a drive through, which I think was a bit excessive.

“In Race 2, I fought my way up to second position. In the closing laps I was hit by Tarquini; I don’t know what he was trying to achieve, but luckily I managed to keep the car on the track.”

Alain Menu (3rd/DNF): “It was a round of mixed fortunes for me, but these things happen. In Race 1, I was happy to finish third given my position on the grid. I managed a few good overtakes and benefitted from some race incidents. After that, my main concern was to preserve the front tires.

“In Race 2, I unfortunately lost the advantage of the front row as I had a bad start. I don’t know if it was me or the clutch, but something did not work. Then, as I was trying to pass D’Aste on the inside, he closed on me abruptly and we touched. My wheel was damaged and a couple of laps later I was forced out of the race.”

Eric Nève: “Slovakia was a great experience with such huge and enthusiastic crowds and many Chevrolet guests from 10 countries. We are delighted with our results and another one-two win, but most of all we enjoyed a terrific welcome and look forward to coming back next year.”