Feature race: Canada wins, Jos 6th
Published on 12 February 2006 by Thorsten Hendriks
Who said that starting from last row is a bad thing? Sean McIntoch has proved it doesn't necesarily have to be like that. He made his way through the field to finish first. Alex Yoong came second and debutant Marcus Marshall gave Australia their first podium since Brands Hatch. The other debutant, Christian Fittipaldi, finishes fourth. Jos was fighting for a podium position for a long time but eventually he had to settle for 6th.
The start was exciting: Jos started from 7th and muscles his way through to 2nd, but has to hand it back again. Robbie Kerr is leading the pack and France is way behind.
Team Indonesia and Japan don't make it through the first corner, they bump into each other. The safety car is deployed. After the restart Jos grabs his 2nd place back from Malaysia. France tries the same but damages his front wing. After his pitstop the Frenchman is 1 lap behind and it seems they won't make it into the points.
Then, in turn 6, three cars go off track due to an unsuccessful overtaking manouvre and again the safetycar is deployed. Jos uses this to go into the pits but falls back to 15th place. It looks like the teams who went into the pits in the earlier safety car situation have a slight advantage.
After the restart South Africa is tries to take the lead from England, but Robbie Kerr successfully fights him off. Team USA and Canada are fiercely fighting for 13th position. Jos takes advantage by following Team Canada passed Team USA. Jos seems glued to the Canadian rear wing as Sean McIntosh cuts through the field passed Brazil, Switzerland and New Zealand. Team Germany makes a slight sidestep into the gravel pit and Jos is 8th, in front of Alex Yoong of Malaysia.
France is doing remarkable things, Lapierre is a lap behind but overtakes the leader of race. Just in time as shortly after Portugal and Mexico both throw away their chances for a place on the podium by both going off track. Mexico gets stuck in the gravel and causes yet another safety car situation. This makes it possible for France to close the gap and drive to the back of the fireld. Due to all overtaking, sliding and crashes of other Jos now is 5th, but the two leading cars still need to have their pitstop.
When the safety car goes in Stephen Simpson of Team South Africa overtakes Team Great Britain at the restart. Canada goes passed Czechia and again Jos follows in the Canadian's slipstream. A podium place is within reach for Jos as the two leaders (South Africa and Great Britain) still have to make their compulsary pitstop. Unfortunately this is ruined by Alex Yoong who gives Jos a shove at the end of the straight with only 7 laps to go. Jos now is 10th, a place that belonged to Portugal and Alvaro Parente only just manages to avoid Jos. Then Jos makes his way forward, helped by mistakes of others, and gets to his 'beloved' 7th place.
Two laps before the end South Africa goes into the pits for their pitstop. Canada is handed the leading position. Simpson drops back and finished outside the points on 11th.
Result:
1 CANADA 55:55.779 2 MALAYSIA 55:57.710 + 1.931 3 AUSTRALIA 56:08.396 +12.617 4 BRAZIL 56:09.779 +14.000 5 SWITZERLAND 56:12.288 +16.509 6 NETHERLANDS 56:17.625 +21.846 7 NEW ZEALAND 56:17.998 +22.219 8 FRANCE 56:18.477 +22.698 9 USA 56:22.092 +26.313 10 GREAT BRITAIN 55:18.609 1 Lap 11 SOUTH AFRICA 55:25.951 1 Lap 12 GERMANY 55:54.309 1 Lap 13 CZECH REPUBLIC 55:18.588 2 Laps 14 INDIA 55:35.150 2 Laps 15 INDONESIA 55:42.685 2 Laps 16 ITALY 49:31.272 5 Laps 17 PORTUGAL 50:00.185 5 Laps 18 AUSTRIA 40:20.709 12 Laps 19 IRELAND 55:48.248 16 Laps 20 MEXICO 28:32.060 18 Laps 21 CHINA 41:45.051 25 Laps 22 LEBANON 11:20.446 29 Laps
Thorsten Hendriks
