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Chevrolet Clinch Double Win at Pau

Chevrolet scored an impressive double win at Pau this weekend, with Robert Huff and Alain Menu scoring taking the chequered flag in Race 1 and Race 2 respectively. Following no less than 9 penalties handed by the FIA World Touring Car Championship after the qualifying session, Sunday provided even more action to the French fans.

The first race finished without any major incidents, with Huff clinching his second win of the season on Chevy's new Cruze. The British driver benefited from a Lap-2 mistake from pole sitter Augusto Farfus and defended well during the remaining 17 laps to take home the whole 10 points. Huff finished in front of no less than 6 BMWs (Farfus, Jorg Muller, Andy Priaulx, Sergio Hernandez, Felix Porteiro and Franz Engstler), while teammate Alain Menu completed the Top 8.

Race 2 was far more dramatic though, with no less than 3 incidents happening in the very first lap. After BMW's Engstler managed to get in front of Menu at the start, several cars suffering from punctures or being involved in racing incidents caused the safety car to be deployed.

Leading the field with a comfortable margin after only one lap, the Engstler-Menu duo was to run behind the safety car for the following two laps. The BMW driver has to be struck by bad luck, however, as he crashed into the left rear side of the safety car just when it was about to enter the track, after exiting the pit lane.

Engstler was to call it a day, as his car was far too damaged to continue the race, while a substitute safety car was soon deployed by the French officials. Menu was to hold on to his lead until the chequered flag, despite driving under pressure in the closing stages of the race ahead of BMW's Augusto Farfus. Third overall was Race 1 winner Robert Huff, followed by BMW duo Andy Priaulx and Alex Zanardi.

Unlike Race 1, SEAT managed to get some points out of the Pau event, putting 2 of its works drivers inside the Top 8, Gabriele Tarquini and Yvan Muller. Completing the point scoring positions was privateer Eric Cayrolle (SEAT).

Muller still leads the overall classification, some 6 points ahead of BMW's Farfus and 5 more clear of teammate Tarquini.
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