Chaos and complaints in the DTC

Jason Watt was on pole after securing eight spot in the first DTC heat of the day, and James Thompson’s absence was planned by Ree Sport and Perfection Racing to save every single point form the Brit. Kim Morgan Jensen was absent, due to technical challenges.

Second heat starts from a reversed grid; the first eight drivers from the first heat result had their position reversed. Chevrolet men, Henrik Lundgaard and Michel Nykjær, had their work cut out resting in fifth and sixth spot.

Get through the field safely, and make due of the situation. Jan Magnussen won the first race, and was busy back in eight spot, doing exactly the same.

With only one round to go and two races left of the day, it was either attack or conserve. Independent Cup driver, Per Poulsen, managed to get from fourth to second behind Watt in just a few laps. The Honda is a hard nut to crack, and even more so on the straights, with the powerful engine. Watt had his hands full operating rods and levers in his hand controlled Seat Leon, keeping the fast Honda behind him.

Poulsen managed to outbreak Watt in lap seven, the latter however managing to cheer the public with an attack getting him back in front. The Honda used its power to fight back, and to the cheer of the crowd Poulsen finally took the lead over Watt.

Behind him the two Chevrolet Lacettis were fighting it out. Even though the two teammates were racing their own race, instead of teamordres it was obvious that the two Lacetti´s did not hold back. Michel Nykjær went on the outside of Lundgaard down the hill, and Lundgaard defended his position, but the track narrowed down before the turn, and it had to end in tears.

Nykjær kept in front of Lundgaard who defended his inside line to the upcoming left hand turn, Nykjær had nowhere to go and ended of ramming the innocent Watt out of the lead and off the track. Lot of speculation went into who was to blame, but the race went on. Nykjær continued covered in white smoke, and retired on the following lap.

Watt rejoined down the field in eight, while Jan Magnussen benefitted from the drama and took over second, in front of teammate Martin Jensen as Lundgaard later received a penalty. Poulsen won the heat and took maximum points in the Independents Cup, and Invitation Only driver Martin Marrill took his second class win of the day.

The judges had their own view of the situation; the two Chevrolet drivers was sentenced a penalty track for ramming a contestant. Both drivers were later sentenced a penalty of three seconds, placing Martin Jensen in third in the final result, in front of Lundgaard.

“This is also racing, “Perfection Racing team boss Kent bo Steffensen explains, while the mechanics furiously tried to repair Nykjær´s Chevrolet. “Of course I am disappointed and frustrated. Two teammates must drive their own races, but they have to respect one another. I am sure that this was not intentionally, and I still have faith in both of them. But I must say that I expected more from them. We had to gather as many points as possible today, and instead we have this situation on our hands. Now I will focus on the race, and later I will give them a stirn talking to in the back of the team trailer!”

The incident later resulted in a full retirement of Nykjær´s car, as the radiatorgril, crass structure and several other vital components suffered damage.

Winner Poulsen also received a penalty for overtaking Watt in a way deemed unnecessary by the judges. Six places down on the starting grid at the final round was the conclusion; something which didn’t go down well with the Honda driver.