Game changer

Enerberg seals TouringCar pole, but everything is wide open after mixed up second heat. 

A topsy turvy second heat has put a different face on two classes of the Belgian event – the only thing that has not changed is Lars Øivind Enerberg’s remarkable domination of the TouringCar class which continued unabated and which has been helped by the exclusion from the second heat of Derek Tohill whose car was judged not to comply with the rules for aerodynamic devices after the race.

Super1600 has been shaken up by Julian Godfrey’s impressive run to fastest time in one of the early races. Ulrik Linnemann was again second fastest, so leads the class after two heats, Saturday’s pace setter Jussi Petteri Leppihalme slipping to 18th in the second heat as Christian Petrakovits came up to third ahead of Daniel Holten and Krzysztof Skorupski.

The Supercar class also got a real shaking, Sverre Isachsen again out of luck and being lapped in his race. Leading in the first lap, a bang as he started the second announced the failure of the turbocharger in his Ford Focus. Touring round in the hope of finishing the race, Isachsen completed four laps, but had been passed the other runners in the race so, when the race finished had actually only completed three laps and was not credited with a race time. With yesterday’s slow time from the first heat, the championship is on the back foot here and will be fortunate to make it into the finals.

Saturday pace setter Timur Timerzyanov had a scrappy race with Davy Jeanney and Andy Scott. The Russian was third of the three in the first corner but went to second as Scott took the Joker Lap in the first lap. Following Jeanney all the way, including into the Joker in the last lap, Timerzyanov was then delayed as the Frenchman spun on the exit of the Joker, but escaped to win the race while Scott was also tangled up with Jeanney, stopping on the track and losing a heap of time before being able to restart his Focus and finish the race, but with slowest time of the session.

Timerzyanov managd to rescue third place from the heat, team mate Liam Doran putting in a superbly clean and tidy drive at the head of his race to set fastest time almost two-seconds ahead of Frode Holte.

Also in a pickle was Michael De Keersmaecker who forgot to take the Joker Lap and was slapped down with a 30-second penalty for his error. Assuming he had made a clean pass through the Joker, De Keersmaecker would have been among the fastest few, as would surely have been Scott and Jeanney…

Of the field, Timerzyanov looks to be the best placed, but for many of the rest the third heat is crucial, not least for points leader Foust who, after another iffy start, is currently languishing in C final territory.

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