NEWS [ 146 ] - 25 Oct 2009
THOMPSON WINS RACE 2 AND S2000 CUP

James Thompson completed a fantastic recovery in the second race, claiming victory and the Super 2000 cup.
After finishing third in Race 1, Thompson saw his chances nearly jeopardised by a first lap pile up at the start. He managed to rejoin, but only in eighth position, while the reigning S2000 champion Michel Nykjær had to retire. Of the other drivers involved, José Monroy was forced to pit with both the front and rear bumpers hanging loose, while Race 1 winner Norbert Michelisz also rejoined in seventh position.
Franz Engstler’s BMW seemed to be dancing on the track as the German driver swerved in avoidance, squeezed among other cars and took fourth position behind Duarte Félix da Costa, Francisco Carvalho and Harry Vaulkhard.
The track was nearly dry and most of the drivers had gone for slicks, except Michelisz who had rain tyres at the back, which proved to be the wrong choice.
As he dropped down, the fight for the lead intensified. Da Costa spun off on lap 2 and rejoined at the back. Vaulkhard stole the lead from Carvalho on lap 3 and the Portuguese lost another place to Engstler on lap 5. In the meantime the Honda cars of Thompson and Tomas Engström were elbowing their way through the field. On lap 8 Thompson overtook Carvalho for third and on lap 11 he got past Engstler for second.
The Honda driver was now chasing his fellow countryman Vaulkhard; under pressure the latter went wide at Turn 1 on the 12^th lap and dropped to sixth.
Thompson had the race in his hands and controlled Engstler’s last efforts, while Engström managed to climb up to third after swapping paints with Carvalho on the penultimate lap.
Marcis Birkens won again the Super Production race, followed by Carsten Seifert who clinched the S1600 cup.