Yann Ehrlacher has led an all Lynk & Co Cyan Racing podium in the second Kuhmo FIA TCR World Tour race at Mid-Ohio. The Frenchman was handed the victory by race 1 winner Thed Björk who was used by the team to fight his way to the top ahead of long-time race leader Marco Butti. Eventually the Swedish relinquished the places to his points-scoring teammates Ehrlacher and Ma Qing Hua.
Butti started from the pole and got away well, while Ehrlacher launched himself straight up to second from P3 on the grid, passing Dušan Borković. Further behind, Esteban Guerrieri ran wide at T1 and dropped to tenth.
Björk was making quick progress from eighth on the grid and passed Néstor Girolami on lap 2 at T1, while Guerrieri recovered ninth place with a move on Mikel Azcona at T9; in the side-to-side contact the side skirt on Azcona’s car began to come loose and then flew off.
On lap 6, Santiago Urrutia relinquished fourth to Björk who passed Borković on lap 8.
Butti was still holding on at the head of the pack, before Cyan Racing moved Björk ahead of Ehrlacher on lap 11. Björk, who was now leading a quartet of Lynk & Co cars after Ma Qing Hua had also passed Borković and began to put the pressure to Butti.
The move came on lap 13, with Björk diving down the inside with slight contact at T9, with Ehrlacher following him through up to second. Butti tried to fight back, cutting the grass to get a run on Ehrlacher, but to no success.
On the next lap, Björk backed off to hand the lead to Ehrlacher, but Butti also tried to take advantage, coming back at Björk and making contact with the rear of Björk’s car at T8. Urrutia then clambered into the side of Butti, with the two drivers falling behind Ma. Butti and Urrutia made contact again, which allowed Guerrieri through into P4, while Norbert Michelisz went wide in avoidance and fell behind Azcona.
Butti and Urrutia were locked in an aggressive battle, which allowed Michelisz and Borković through.
Up front, Ehrlacher controlled the race to win ahead of Ma Qing Hua, who was let past by Björk on the final lap.
Michelisz continues to the lead the standings, now 20 points clear of Ehrlacher, who moved up to second ahead of Azcona.
The next event of the series will be in Brazil, at Interlagos on July 19/21.
Mid-Ohio – Race 2
- Yann Ehrlacher (Lynk & Co Cyan Racing, Lynk & Co 03 FL), 17 laps
- Ma Qing Hua (Lynk & Co Cyan Racing, Lynk & Co 03 FL), 0.338
- Thed Björk (Lynk & Co Cyan Racing, Lynk & Co 03 FL), 0.921
Championship points
- N. Michelisz, 148 pts; 2. Y. Ehrlacher, 128; 3. M. Azcona, 124
Further information and images @ www.fiatcrworldtour.com
Picture: WSC/MotorSportMedia
