NEWS [ 145 ] - 25 Oct 2009
MICHELISZ WINS RACE 1 AT BRAGA

Norbert Michelisz claimed a serious stake on the 2009 FIA European Touring Car Cup by obtaining a lights to flag victory in Braga’s first race. The young Hungarian gave a convincing proof of maturity, managing to handle his SEAT León TDI car fitted with rain tyres on a track that was drying up quickly and also resisting the pressure from experienced BMW man Franz Engstler.
All drivers chose rain tyres as the asphalt was wet before the start. Michelisz dashed from pole position and pulled away from Engstler. Behind them Britons Harry Vaulkhard and James Thompson fought for third position, with the Honda driver able to jump ahead during the second lap.
The first casualties were Francisco Carvalho who hit the tyres in the chicane but continued, and Per Poulsen who went off at Turn 1 and remained stranded in the gravel trap. On lap 2, Duarte Félix da Costa rejoined after spinning off the track while fighting with Michel Nykjær for fifth position. The Dane was then chasing Vaulkhard for fourth, which he eventually claimed when the young Englishman spun on lap 12.
Gaps among the first three were fluctuacting. Halfway through the race Thompson closed in on Engstler, but in the latest stages the German pulled away again and threatened closely Michelisz’s lead. However he did not manage to find a gap for an overtaking manoeuvre.
Michelisz, Engstler, Tompson and Nykjær crossed the line in the order, with Vaulkhard in fifth; da Costa recovered to eighth and won pole position on the reverse grid for Race 2.
Latvian racer Marcis Birkens won the Super Production class in his Honda Civic, overtaking Mikhail Zasadych’s BMW on lap 3. Carsten Seifert completed his solo lead in the S1600 class and crossed the line in 13^th position overall.