Priaulx wins on home turf

[Roundel]

Andy Priaulx wins as WTCC runs at Brands Hatch

Andy Priaulx, driving a World Touring Car Championship BMW 320si, scored his fourth win of the season in the second race at Brands Hatch in the UK on Sunday. The win keeps Priaulx third in drivers’ points with five events (ten races) remaining in the 24-race season.

Both Priaulx and his BMW Team RBM teammate, Augusto Farfus, had problems in qualifying. Farfus qualified tenth, and while Priaulx qualified sixth, an engine change dropped him to sixteenth on the Race One grid. BMW privateer Colin Turkington, the reigning British Touring Car champion, was the fastest BMW qualifier; he started fourth.

Andy Priaulx and Colin Turkington finshed first and second at Brands Hatch.

In Race One, Chevrolet’s Yvan Muller—the series points —and his teammate, Robert Huff, finished first and second ahead of Turkington. Farfus finished sixth, while Priaulx finished eighth, earning the pole for Race Two.

Farfus took the lead of that race as Priaulx spun his wheels at the start. Priaulx then found his way past his teammate, but as Chevrolet’s Alain Menu tried to follow, he came together with Farfus. Priaulx kept the lead for the duration of the race, while Turkington made his way up to second, giving the British fans a one-two finish for their home-country racers. Farfus recovered to finish eighth.

RBM team principal Bart Mampaey said afterward, “Considering the grid positions, our Race One result was excellent. It put us in a promising position for the second round. However, the race then took an unlucky turn for Augusto. He managed to take the lead after making a better start than Andy. When Andy passed his teammate, Alain Menu also tried to push his way past, and he collided with Augusto. This was massively unfortunate. Afterwards Andy was in full control of the race at the front, celebrated his fourth victory of the season and collected a lot of valuable points.”

The series runs next at Brno in the Czech Republic on August 1.—Brian S. Morgan, motorsports editor, bmwcca.org