GRAND PRIX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

[jakesanson]

NEWS

Transition Mercedes have confirmed that Elio Lahikkanen will miss the Spanish Grand Prix in order to race in the 1000 Lakes Rally of Finland. The team will use their test driver Linvoy Nonda of France, as their second driver alongside Gabriele Toccacello.

SME Racing has remarkably given their second drive to former GP racer Grischa Zickler. The 29 year-old female racer has had several attempts at the Grand Prix World Championship with varied success, but the German has close ties with Volkswagen, so the signing was not difficult. The paddock has welcomed the news, as Grischa Zickler is one of the more charming and friendly drivers on the GPWC grid. Zickler will drive for the team for the remainder of the 2009 season, hoping to improve on her previous best finish of 4th. It seems that Zickler wishes to beat Sophia Lavaggi to become the first female driver to score a podium in the GPWC.

[jakesanson]

It is also becoming increasingly likely that the SME Racing team will be completing the purchase of the Italian team Scicilia Maserati. With the team desperate to return to the ranks of the GPWC, the SME organisation is keen for them to do so. There is ongoing talks on this matter.

[jakesanson]

GPWC, SPANISH GRAND PRIX, Jerez
Qualifying

This time the Minaraes appear to have the pace in qualifying that could set them up for a strong race, with Rugen ahead of Mannsperger.

Some very pleasant surprises throughout the field in Jerez, as it's clear that several teams have made a step forward. Particular congratulations to Leszek Leuenberger of the Kraft team, for his 8th position, and Herbie Huckett who put the Nagato at an amazing 12th position, a major improvement from the start of the season. Impressive performance too from Linvoy Nonda, who outqualified his Transition team-mate Gabriele Toccacello. He was also the fastest of everybody other than Minarae, FK Systems and Orchis' cars.

Unfortunately though, neither one of the Ssangyong cars made the grid for this race, which means that for the first time this season all 13 permanent teams have both their cars on the grid.

1. Mark Rugen (Minarae)
2. Jorg Mannsperger (Minarae)
3. Rickard Alingas (FK Systems)
4. Ukyo Okazaki (Orchis)
5. Sophia Lavaggi (Orchis)
6. Patrik Pafvelsson (FK Systems)
7. Linvoy Nonda (Transition)
8. Leszek Leuenberger (Kraft)
9. Jaime Moreno (DRTW)
10. Massimiliano Ariesta (Republica)
11. Jake Sanson (SME)
12. Herbie Huckett (Nagato)
13. Gabriele Toccacello (Transition)
14. Bjorn Makki-Ohlson (LeRon)
15. Timothy MacGibbons (LeRon)
16. Giambattista Regazzi (Cyprus)
17. Rick vd Woldenberg (DRTW)
18. Grischa Zickler (SME)
19. Vincent Hattenberger (Kraft)
20. Ryan Miller (FK Junior)
21. Nico Weidlinger (FK Junior)
22. Maarja Snel (Nordisch)
23. Alexis Kamannen (Republica)
24. Kostas Kafatos (Cyprus)
25. Fiete Priet (Nordisch)
26. Yiasoumis Mertakis (Nagato)

DNQ. Norio Narahasi (Ssangyong)
DNQ. Masami Toyoma (Ssangyong)

[jakesanson]

SPANISH GRAND PRIX, Jerez

START:
Mannsperger begins a titanic battle with team-mate Rugen for the lead, whilst Okazaki passes Alingas, and Lavaggi falls back to 8th.

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A good start by Zickler is ruined by Huckett, who dives inside her at the hairpin at the last possible moment. Zickler's car flies into the air and suffers damage, whilst Huckett resumes.

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He is now under investigation by the stewards.

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[AAS]

With the track, carset and some replays in my mailbox I could make a highlights-video.

[jakesanson]

AAS, that's a brilliant idea. Have sent you all the stuff you need.

[jakesanson]

Lap 8:
Huckett spins whilst fighting for 12th place. He resumes down in 25th place.

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Lap 12:
Nonda pits with electrical problems from 6th. It has destroyed his afternoon.

Lap 20:
Regazzi has spun out whilst 10th. He also resumes 23rd, which means that for the first time in the GPWC's 24 year history, every car is still running after 20 laps!!

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Lap 22:
MANNSPERGER!!!! Engine failure!! WAIT, SO TOO DOES MORENO!!! They're both out of the race at the same time!!!

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That means that Rugen now has a strong lead over Okazaki and Alingas.

[jakesanson]

Lap 23:
Rugen pits, whilst Pafvelsson passes Alingas for 3rd.

Lap 25:
Okazaki and Pafvelsson pit, so Rugen now leads Alingas who is on a one-stop strategy.

Lap 26:
Makki-Ohlson is in all sorts of problems!!

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That's a stuck throttle!!! He's out. Meanwhile Nonda spins off, eventually rejoining a lap down in last place. Perhaps the Frenchman is in a little over his head.

Lap 30:
Gearbox failure spells the end for Jake Sanson. He was 7th.

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Lap 31:
Miller's engine's blown!! Still no luck for the plucky American!!

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[jakesanson]

Sorry for the delay. Been quite ill again.

Lap 33:
That's Ariesta!! His engine's blown!! No points for the Italian today!

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Lap 35:
Huckett makes a sensational overtaking move!! As Kafatos pits, the American darts out from behind Priet and passes both of them in one move!! That could easily be the pass of the year. Great driving!!

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Lap 37:
Oh dear, that's Grischa Zickler out now! With transmission failure, the SME team's race has ended early.

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[jakesanson]

Lap 38:
Alingas makes his only stop, so he now has to push to take the win. He's now third behind Rugen and Okazaki, both of whom are on two-stop strategies. WOAW, that's vd Woldenberg!! He's spun!!

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AND THAT'S WEIDLINGER!! That's a loose wheel!

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Lap 42:
ALINGAS!! ALINGAS is IN THE PITS!! He's got a problem!!

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The FK team are distraught!! What do they have to do to win a race this season??

[jakesanson]

Lap 48:
Both Nordisch cars are out!! Priet and Snel have both got mechanical failures!!

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Lap 51:
Alingas is catching Lavaggi, there could be a hot fight for third!!

Lap 54:
Oh no!! That's Huckett!! He was looking good for an 8th place finish!!

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Lap 58:
Kamannen retires from 9th.

Lap 60:
Pafvelsson has just pulled into the pits, with a dead engine! So that's fifth place gone!

Lap 61:
OKAZAKI IS OUT!! He was 2nd!! So that promotes Sophia Lavaggi and Rickard Alingas onto the podium!!!

Lap 67:
vd Woldenberg is out with a broken transmission, whilst in 10th.

Lap 68:
Sweet move!! Leuenberger slips past Toccacello for fifth!! That's the Hungarian driver at his best!!

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[jakesanson]

FINISH:
It's another triumphant win for Mark Rugen!! This championship battle is getting hotter!!

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But look back!! A couple of great finishes in the points!! SOPHIA LAVAGGI IS SECOND!! She becomes the first woman in history to stand on the podium of a GPWC race!! Congratulations to the fantastic Italian!!

Also, Yiasoumis Mertakis is going berserk!! The Cypriot finishes the car in 8th place, for the Nagato team's first points finish since 2001!!!! A brilliant race!!!

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Drama at the end!! Regazzi retires on the last corner!!! He was only 9th, but that will just add insult to injury.

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1. Mark Rugen (Minarae)
2. Sophia Lavaggi (Orchis)
3. Rickard Alingas (FK Systems)
4. Timothy MacGibbons (LeRon)
5. Leszek Leuenberger (Kraft)
6. Gabriele Toccacello (Transition)
7. Vincent Hattenberger (Kraft)
8. Yiasoumis Mertakis (Nagato)

9. Kostas Kafatos (Cyprus)
10. Linvoy Nonda (Transition)

Fastest Lap: Mark Rugen

[MaxX]

Minarae:
A very good race for the team! Allthough a car failed once more, we have agood pace. It`s easier to make a fast car reliable than vice versa. It`s good to have Mark back in the battle for the championship, but we hope that we get rid of the 50% unluckiness for our drivers soon.

Orchis:
Good results where what we needed after the recent problems and that was exactly what we got. Sophia now feels totally comfortable in the car and we are very confident that Ukyo can score good results again in the near future.

[jakesanson]

Prize Money:

Minarae: £1.95m
Orchis: £775k (originally £1.275m but £500k fine subtracted)
Kraft: £1.125m
FK: £900k
LeRon: £825k
Transition: £750k
Nagato: £300k
Cyprus: £225k
DRTW: £100k
SME: £100k
Nordisch: £100k
Republica: £100k
FK Junior: £100k

[jakesanson]

DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Mark Rugen (39 pts)
2. Jorg Mannsperger (36 pts)
3. Timothy MacGibbons (23 pts)
4. Leszek Leuenberger (21 pts)
= Gabriele Toccacello (21 pts)
6. Ukyo Okazaki (20 pts)
= Rickard Alingas (20 pts)
8. Jaime Moreno (17 pts)
= Sophia Lavaggi (17 pts)
10. Jake Sanson (13 pts)
11. Linvoy Nonda (9 pts)
12. Sebastien Bourougsse (8 pts)
= Lewis Cool (8 pts)
= Elio Lahikkanen (8 pts)
15. Bjorn Makki-Ohlson (7 pts)
16. Massimiliano Ariesta (6 pts)
= Giambattista Regazzi (6 pts)
18. Natalia Medina Gonzalez (5 pts)
= Caleb Liu (5 pts)
20. Maarja Snel (4 pts)
= Facundo-Daniel Baru (4 pts)
= Yiasoumis Mertakis (4 pts)
23. Patrik Pafvelsson (3 pts)
24. Alexis Kamannen (2 pts)
= Vincent Hattenberger (2 pts)
= Timo Laiti (2 pts)
27. Ryan Miller (1 pt)
= Kostas Kafatos (1 pt)

CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Minarae (75 pts)
2. Orchis (37 pts)
3. SME (36 pts)
4. LeRon (30 pts)
5. FK Systems (24 pts)
6. Transition (23 pts)
7. DRTW (16 pts)
8. Nordisch (14 pts)
9. Republica (12 pts)
= Kraft (12 pts)
11. Cyprus (10 pts)
12. Nagato (1 pt)