Photo: BTCS Media

Stéveny and de Radiguès close on title with win

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Philippe Stéveny and Didier de Radiguès move one step closer to being crowned the 2011 BTCS Champions at the season finale at Spa, winning race one ahead of Edouard Mondron and Stéphane Lémeret and the other Kia of Iain Dockerill, Tom Ferrier & Steven Kane.

Stéveny and de Radiguès started from second on the grid in their Kia Buy Way Pro_Cee’d, whilst Mondron and Lémeret started from pole position in their Delahaye Racing Renault Mégane, but took the chequered flag first to almost be assured of taking the trophy away from Delahaye Racing.

The Volvo S60 of Vincent Radermecker and Eric van de Poele assumed the lead by the end of the first lap, leading up until the first pit stop, but found themselves behind the Renault of Mondron & Lémeret after the pit sequence was complete, but retired on lap 23 ending their slim chance of Championship victory.

Stéveny passed the No.2 Mégane on lap 29 to take the lead six laps from the end and went on to build a 13s lead before the end of the race on lap 36.

The British-run Chad Racing Kia finished third, entered for only the second time this season for Iain Dockerill and Tom Ferrier as well as BTCC and ALMS driving star Steven Kane. Kane has driven for Chad Racing previously in Belcar and the British GT Championship in their Ferrari F430.

The No.1 car, driven by Christian Kelders all season, now has Jérôme Thiry onboard, jumping across from Jaguar where his seat has been taken by FIA GT1 driver Nico Verdonck, as well as Maxime Soulet to aid the 50-year-old’s Championship challenge, though they could only manage sixth place today, one lap down.

Verdock and Werner Moonens Jaguar XF finished fourth, with the two Delahaye Méganes behind.

The top placed non-S1 class car was the BMW M3 of Steve Vanbellingen and Eric Qvick in seventh, winning that class ahead of Claude-Yves Gosselin & Jean-Jacques Smits Volkswagen Scirocco.

Kane, Dockerill & Ferrier have pole position for the final race of the 2011 Belgian Touring Car Series, which starts at 16:20 CET on Sunday.