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Andros: Muller edges closer to title

Leading after the qualifying heats, Yvan Muller took the chequered flag his in ten-lap final to claim his fifth victory of the season and effectively secure the title for the fifth year in succession.

'It wasn't an easy victory, after coming fifth in practice and going out of the first heat with a broken gearbox, but it turned into a really good race, and one of the best I've ever won,' the man from Alsace said afterwards.

His race was red-flagged when future DTM driver Eric Helary and reigning SRWC champion Emmanuel Collard collided early on, catapulting Collard's Nissan onto the snow wall and back down right in front of Hervé Knapick's Saxo.

Knapick and Collard were out, but Helary took the restart after some assistance from the Opel team. The remaining eight laps were largely without incident, with Tarrès crossing the line a second behind Muller.

The other Elite class final saw Nissan's Jean-Pierre Malcher chase Opel's Jean-Philippe Dayraut for the full ten laps, without ever being able to get into the right position to attempt an overtaking manoeuvre.

Best drive of the race had to go to Julien Pressac, at just 20 the youngest participant in the Trophy, who overtook both Dany Snobeck and James Ruffier for fourth place, which he proceeded to defend successfully despite Ruffier's continued attacks.

Overall, Muller took the win followed by his Opel team-mate Jean-Philippe Dayraut and Marcel Tarrès, who always figures prominently at Serre Chevalier, his favourite track.

Muller now has 597 points, a twenty-six point lead over his nearest rival Dayraut.

With the lowest scoring round being discounted, and the SuperFinal in Paris not counting, Muller has effectively won the Trophy yet again.

'This victory has the same flavour as the others. In some ways it was easier than the other years, as I've never been so far ahead on points at this stage. It's very satisfying and I'm very pleased.'

In Promotion, the finals were won by Laurent Fouquet's Renault Clio and Jean-Noël Lanctuit's Nissan Micra.

Overall, however, Guyhelm Dussaucy took his second win of the season, ahead of Fouquet and Lanctuit. After six rounds, Lanctuit is leading ahead of Christophe Balas and Fouquet.

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