Rob Huff takes top spot for Touring opener

Mar 20 2011 by Zoe Burn, Sunday Sun

BRIT Rob Huff will lead a Chevrolet one-two off the front row at Curitiba as the World Touring Car Championship roars into action this afternoon.

The UK star had only just made it through to yesterday’s second qualifying session in the dying minutes of Q1, moving up from 11th to fifth and unintentionally knocking team-mate Alain Menu out of the top ten.

Yesterday’s qualifying was held in uncharacteristic wet and cloudy conditions at the Brazilian track, and the Chevrolets looked to be on form from the outset.

After scraping into the second session, Huff posted a fastest lap of 1.21:758mins, smashing the existing lap record. Team-mate and reigning champion Yvan Muller was close behind with a best time of 1.22:147.

Although the track had dried up by the time Q2 got underway, drama unfolded in the latter stages of the 10-minute shoot-out when rain began to fall again.

Casualties included Tom Coronel, Gabriele Tarquini and many more, who all missed the breaking point at the end of the straight and ran wide.

WTCC Curitiba, top 10 qualifying positions. 1. Rob Huff, Chevrolet, 1.21:758, 2. Yvan Muller, Chevrolet, +0.389, 3. Caca Bueno, Chevrolet, +0.785, 4. Michel Nykjaer, seat, +0.874, 5. Kristian Poulsen, BMW, +0.920, 6. Gabriele Tarquini, Seat, +1.084, 7. Tiago Monteiro, Seat, +1.167, 8. Tom Coronel, BMW, +1.337, 9/ Fredy Barth, Seat, +1.580, 10. Franz Engstler, BMW, +9.769.