Misano – This and That

27. May 2009Primarily there was a holiday feeling in Misano. In the first place it was the weather – although at an air temperature of 37 °C (98.6 °F) and 55 °C (131 °F) on the tarmac a small drop in the temperature would actually have been appreciated – but the atmosphere was also particularly relaxed, except for the discussions about the drive-through penalty Markus Bösiger incurred. The industry, manufacturers and sponsors have cut back their commitments – also with regard to invited guests – except for MAN and Renault. And then there was that marvellous beach weather so that people prefered to bathe in the sea rather than stroll around a blazing hot paddock. All the more it was a pleasant surprise that the Misano World Circuit attracted an audience of more than 27,000 truck racing fans.
And they could again witness some very action-packed races, and once more the new regulations – in the second race of the day the first 8 of the first race line up on the grid in reverse order – added to the excitement. The two drivers, who were also particularly cheered by the crowd, were Dominique Orsini and Mikael Johansson. The French Mercedes pilot and the driver of the red Scania from Sweden were locked in combat quite a lot – most often for the second-to-last place. For Orsini it was worthwhile, because in the race where 5 drivers didn’t make it into the ranking or were disqualified, he collected his first championship point.
All in all, the only discussion that ended on a less positive note was about the penalties which were not quite comprehensible for everybody. The discussion about the tyres – in Assen it seemed that this could become a long-lasting issue – wasn’t a topic at all in Misano.
And the never-ending issue on this circuit – incorrect GPS speed measuring caused by the nearby military airbase – was not mentioned anymore either. A bit odd was the fact that time penalties and disqualifications often were published long after the races were finished. In the case of Balazs Szobi the press was not informed till the next morning. As for that matter, earlier they said that they were well on the way to real-time measuring.
Rather loaded with emotion were the discussions about Bösiger’s drive-through penalty in the first Sunday race. The Swiss had gained an impressive lead and looked set for an outright victory, when he was ordered to drive through the pit lane. As Bösiger made a much better getaway than pole setter Jochen Hahn, onlookers assumed at first that the reason could have been an – albeit marginal – jump start. Upon request the race committee declared expressly that there was no jump start, but that the Buggyra pilot was penalised for not staying in his track in the formation lap. They claimed that Bösiger was driving too far on the right, thus impeding Jochen Hahn. But – according to Bösiger – they later talked to the German MAN pilot who said that he did not notice any impediment. And also in the recording done by Kamiono TV, which the Buggyra crew watched later on, they could not detect anything they were accused of, so that Bösiger was quite angry late in the evening.
But the most noticeable driver – and also the most unlucky fellow – of the weekend was Jochen Hahn. Twice he was forced to retire because of mechanical troubles – right in both first races where double points can be scored – and this meant a loss of quite a few points for the only German truck racer. However, the man from Altensteig started undauntedly from the back of the grid in the second races and fought his way up through the field and each time crossed the finish line in the ‘unrewarding’ 4th position.
For those who would like to treat themselves to the Misano events once more: on Saturday, May 30, at 9:15 a.m., the DSF is going to air a 30-minute racing report.