Combe 2: Van der Merwe's debut win

The South African started fourth on the grid, but he got away well and took third off Heikki Kovalainen going in to the first corner. On lap two, the second placed car of Bruce Jouanny picked up a marker cone in its front wing, which slowed it slightly and van der Merwe used this to his advantage, slipstreaming the Frenchman down the start/finish straight before executing a sensational overtaking move around the outside through Quarry.

James Courtney was comfortably in the lead, but the championship favourite was caught creeping off the line at the start and was hand a 10-second stop/go penalty.

Once in the lead, van der Merwe came under increasing pressure from Michael Keohane, who had followed his team-mate past Jouanny at Quarry earlier in the race. The pair staged a great fight for the lead, but despite Keohane matching van der Merwe tenth for tenth, he could not find a way by.

Jouanny held on to take third, Mark Taylor was fourth and Richard Antinucci fifth. The latter two found themselves hoisted up the order after four cars tangled on the opening lap.

Going into the esses Heikki Kovalainen, Fabio Carbone, Robbie Kerr and Keohane got into all sorts of trouble and each one of the drivers collided with one or more of the others. Keohane escaped without damage, but Kovalainen and Carbone spun to the back of the order, while Kerr hit the barrier and was eliminated on the spot.

Courtney rejoined after his penalty in between the recovering pair and the three drivers staged a fantastic scrap at the back of the field. Kovalainen came out on top, passing Courtney and Carbone as well as tailenders Shinya Hosakawa and Matt Gilmore, in what he described as the best race of his career.

Scholarship class honours looked to be heading to Stephen Colbert but a huge moment at Camp cost him fifth place and an almost certain class win. He pitted suspecting a puncture, but the team could find nothing wrong with the car initially.

Adam Carroll inherited the win and with it an even greater championship advantage.

Alan van der Merwe Carlin Motorsport
Michael Keohane Carlin Motorsport
Bruce Jounanny Promatecme
Mark Taylor Manor Motorsport
Richard Antinucci Manor Motorsport
Adam Carroll Sweeney*
Rob Austin Menu Motorsport
Ronnie Bremer Manor Motorsport
Billy Asaro Sweeney*
Clivio Piccione T-Sport