DTC: Padborg Park round seven summary

Chevrolet dominated Padborg Park DTC round
Three drivers now have a chance of becoming Danish Touringcar Champion

Chevrolet made a clean sweep at the seventh and penultimate round of the Danish Touringcar Championship at Padborg Park. Sweden's Pontus Morth started by winning the first of the two qualification heats with team mate Henrik Lundgaard clinching the other, and subsequently the Swede went on to take his as well as Chevrolet's first ever win in a DTC final.

"I have been fighting for this for many years, and this year I have been doing well twice at this circuit, and it was just wonderful to finally win a DTC final. It was also nice to see that other cars than BMWs and Seats can win in the series," the jubilant winner said.

"The car worked well, and we have been very fast at Padborg Park, but until now we have not managed to get all things right. Previously we have not been perfect in the qualifying sessions, while others things have meant that we have finished further down the field. But this time everything just worked. It was a bit like the ketchup effect, where nothing has worked, and now it did."

In the first qualification heat Pontus Morth took the lead from Seat Leon driver Michel Nykjær and top BMW privateer Michael Outzen, but neither seemed interested in pushing the Chevrolet driver, as they both were intent on scoring valuable points rather than battle for a possible win. Especially championship leader Michel Nykjær wanted to play things safe, as title rivals Jan Magnussen was suffering from a car with lots of success ballast while John Nielsen's Team Essex BMW 320si E90 was really off form.

For the second qualification heat Robert Schlunssen started from pole position, but he soon got under pressure from Henrik Lundgaard, and midway through the heat the black and red Peugeot was passed by the blue Chevrolet, which went on to take a win. Initially the Hartmann Honda twins of Jens Edman and Martin Jensen tried to put pressure on Robert Schlunssen, but he withstood it, while a bit further down the field Michel Nykjær elected to let Pontus Morth take sixth place from him.

Based on the results of the two qualification heats the front row of the final consisted of Pontus Morth and Henrik Lundgaard, and the Chevrolet twin also led the field away in front of Michel Nykjær and Jan Magnussen. Michel Nykjær started to put pressure on Henrik Lundgaard, and on the third lap he got an opportunity to move into second place, while Henrik Lundgaard now was the centre of attention from Jan Magnussen. But no matter what the former Stewart Grand Prix driver did, he could not find a way past Henrik Lundgaard.

In the final John Nielsen could only manage eighth place, which means that his second place in the championship standings was taken over by Jan Magnussen, and now the two BMW drivers are the only ones with a chance of fighting Michel Nykjær for the title in three week's time at Jyllandsringen.

Sunday's races settled one title in the Danish Touringcar Championship -- the privateers'. It went to JM Racing's Michael Outzen, who was jubilant.

"I am just so glad right now," Michael Outzen said after having been celebrated for taking another privateers' cup win in the final, this time in front of Kristian Poulsen and Martin Pedersen.

-credit: dtc-net.dk