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<body> <Table Width="550" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="0"><TR><TD Width="35"><IMG SRC="//www.totalmotorsport.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="35" HEIGHT="1"></td><td> <CENTER><Table border="0" width="100%"> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="5">BTCC</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">13/06/2004</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Huff Takes Second At Mondello </FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">Then Loses It!</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="1">  </FONT></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2"><B>Huff Takes Second At Mondello - Then Loses It!</B><BR> <BR> Rob Huff took a stunning second place in the 14th round of the Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship at Mondello Park today, only to lose it after race officials deemed an incident with Michael Bentwood was worthy of exclusion. The 24 year-old from Cambridge finished as runner-up to his SEAT Sport UK team-mate Jason Plato to take SEAT's first 1-2 finish but the incident cost him dear and he was understandably disappointed to have been deprived the result over a 'racing incident'. <BR> <BR> "Well what can I say, that was an absolutely mega race but I'm very disappointed by the exclusion for the incident, which I considered to be purely a racing incident!" said Rob at the flag. "I got another fantastic start and got alongside Jason going into the first corner. We gave each other room and then Michael Bentwood barged through and tried to cut me off on the exit but I stayed where I was. The rest of the race I followed Jason and pulled away from Tom Chilton in third at about half a second a lap. By that time Jason had built up a bit of lead but I started catching him up towards the end of the race."<BR> <BR> The first race had Rob start from 11th on the grid, and following the rectification of a clutch problem that had been plaguing him since Silverstone, made a blinding start to pass three cars off the line, where he sat behind Silverstone race winner Tom Chilton. With his mind very firmly on ensuring a good start slot for the day's second race, which featured the top ten starting in reverse order, Rob maintained eighth place to the flag to take a second row slot for the second.<BR> <BR> "That wasn't a bad race for me really, I had a blinding start and I think I jumped about three places off the line. Then I just sat behind Tom Chilton in ninth. I just tried to pace myself and not push too hard.<BR> There's certainly more pace in the car and I was definitely quicker than the three guys ahead of me - I was catching them and then gradually started to drop back to keep position for the start of race two. Then Jason did the same and lifted right off and waited for me to go through and then tucked in behind me."<BR> <BR> Following the second race exclusion, Rob was forced to start from the back of the grid for the day's final race and with 55kg of weight ballast but another great getaway saw him move through the field, passing four cars at the start until he slotted in behind Dan Eaves for seventh. When the safety car was deployed Rob was able to capitalise and made his move on Chilton for sixth only for the engine to die, causing instant retirement.<BR> <BR> "We found the problem with the clutch to be a cracked seal which was causing engine and gearbox oil to mix and making the clutch bite at different times, so my starts had been a bit erratic. But since that was cured, after qualifying yesterday, my starts have been great and the third start was just as good as the first two. I made up four places at the start and then got up to seventh but just as I passed Chilton for sixth the engine just went pop. There was a hairline fracture in the sump and I just had to pull off. Despite all of that though, I think there was a lot of positive things to come out of this weekend. I'm learning new circuits well, I think I raced very well in the second one, and we're getting quicker all the time, so all in all a good weekend."<BR> </FONT></TD></TR> </TABLE><BR> </CENTER> <BR><CENTER><font size="1" color="#808080" face="Tahoma">Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport</font></CENTER> </td> </tr> </table> </body>