Rob Huff - Photo Credit: fiawtcc.com
Rob Huff boosted his World Touring Car Championship title hopes by claiming pole position in qualifying in Macau, ahead of Chevrolet teammate and points leader Yvan Muller.
Robert Dahlgren was the quickest driver in the first part of qualifying, which determines the ten drivers that go through to Q2 as well as picking the grid for Race 2 by reversing the top ten.
Muller was third fastest, which will leave him eighth on the grid for second race. Huff meanwhile was eighth, securing him third on the grid. The two Chevrolet drivers were not joined by their teammate Alain Menu in Q2, after the Swiss driver could only manage 13th after an incident with local ace Andre Couto.
The second session was red flagged early on after Dahlgren crashed heavily, with his Volvo catching fire. He managed to get himself out of the car, but sustained a broken thumb and will not race on Sunday. He joins Fredy Barth on the sidelines, who crashed his Sunred Leon in practice and was unconscious in the car as it burst into flames. He was extricated from the car and taken to hospital where he will remain overnight after suffering from smoke inhalation.
Q2 restarted 25 minutes after Dahlgren's crash, with Huff going to the top of the timesheets with his first attempt. Muller moved ahead with his final effort, but Huff then regained the place by going 0.268s quicker than the Frenchman.
Gabriele Tarquini was the best of the rest in third, 1.266s away from Huff. Darryl O'Young claimed a strong fourth place at the Hong Kong driver's 'home race', ahead of Tom Coronel. Mehdi Bennani will line up sixth ahead of Couto, Michel Nykjaer and Franz Engstler (who will start Race 2 from pole).
