Tarquini wins Portimao thriller

Front row starters Fredy Barth and Norbert Michelisz had shortlived reigns at the front. Barth made a terrible start and was eighth half way round the first lap. Michelisz lasted a little longer and led for the first four laps, but then his Leon TDi slowed and he plummeted down the order before retiring in the pits.

Alain Menu also led briefly, passing Michelisz on the start/finish straight, but being overtaken by Tarquini just two corners later. Menu was unable to respond and slipped backwards during the rest of the race.

Once ahead, Tarquini had a fairly free run as the Chevrolets squabbled over the remaining podium places. Yvan Muller made his way past Tom Coronel and then bumped past Menu on the inside of the Turn 5 hairpin.

Huff had charged through the field from the back of the grid after his retirement in the first race. In the closing stages, he jumped the SEATs of Coronel and race one winner Tiago Monteiro to move into fourth, and then snatched the final podium spot from Menu at the same spot as Muller on the final lap.

The BMWs of Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus also passed Coronel and Monteiro, and followed the Chevrolets home in fifth and sixth.

Colin Turkington was again denied an independent class victory when he spun as a result of contact on the first lap.

He made his way back up to second in class, passing Harry Vaulkhard on the final lap, but couldn't prevent Darryl O'Young from taking the class victory.

Pos Driver                 Car              Time/Gap
 1. Gabriele Tarquini      SEAT           21m49.935s
 2. Yvan Muller            Chevrolet          +1.736
 3. Rob Huff               Chevrolet          +2.587
 4. Alain Menu             Chevrolet          +3.244
 5. Andy Priaulx           BMW                +3.570
 6. Augusto Farfus         BMW                +4.094
 7. Tom Coronel            SEAT               +6.201
 8. Tiago Monteiro         SEAT               +6.513
 9. Fredy Barth            SEAT              +10.207
10. Darryl O'Young         Chevrolet         +12.751
11. Colin Turkington       BMW               +13.609
12. Harry Vaulkhard        Chevrolet         +14.857
13. Mehdi Bennani          BMW               +18.100
14. Stefano D'Aste         BMW               +19.125
15. Franz Engstler         BMW               +21.271
16. Andrey Romanov         BMW               +35.977
17. Sergio Hernandez       BMW                +1 lap

Retirements

    Jordi Gene             SEAT               9 laps
    Norbert Michelisz      SEAT               5 laps
    Michel Nykjaer         SEAT               3 laps
    Kristian Poulsen       BMW                 1 lap
   
   
Fastest lap, Gene 1m57.902s