Sunday in Nogaro Part 2

16. June 2013Nogaro - Sunday`s first race started at around mid-day. It was hotter now, but the drivers were all chilled out and the start was, accordingly, uneventful. Polesitter Albacete led the first lap from Hahn, Oestreich was able to snatch third place from Vršecký, and Kiss appended himself to this quartet. As the race wore on, the two leaders opened up a gap to the following pack, but there was no more change in the top five, Oestreich driving to a very safe third place. Behind Vršecký and Kiss, though, there was a brief spot of action when Reinert and Lacko took advantage of a sudden gearbox problem in Bösiger`s MKR Renault to both pass the Swissman, who till then had been comfortably cruising in sixth. Bösiger was only barely able to hold on to eighth place, and thereby pole for the second race, ahead of Mäkinen. The last finisher in the points was Spanish race-by-race pilot Javier Mariezcurrena (MAN).
Before the weekend`s final race the temperature had shot past 33°C – in the shade, mind you – and it was unbearable out in the sun. In the long mid-day break some of the teams resorted to a water fight to cool down, and many of the 35,210 visitors joined in with gusto. At the start of the race the asphalt was a scorching 52°C in parts — the action on the track, however, wasn`t as hot. The two MKR Renaults of Bösiger and Lacko shared the first row, and at the rolling start neither did the other any harm — but naturally. Polesitter Bösiger shot directly into the lead, which he held onto till the flag. His victory over teammate Lacko was more emphatic than the the margin of one second suggests. For the first half of the race the Czech had to fight off the MAN of Kiss, who was stuck to his rear, before the Hungarian dropped back a bit. And this is the order in which they finished.
Oestreich had to make do with a thankless fourth place, followed by teammate Albacete, the Spaniard being the only top driver who managed to make good a couple of places. Reinert, Vršecký, Hahn, Mäkinen, and Major were the other finishers in the points, in that order.
Hahn`s lead in the drivers` standings has now all but vanished — the reigning champ is still in front, albeit by just two points, with 118 against Albacete`s 116. Third-placed Oestreich is on 101, followed by Vršecký (91), Kiss (81), Lacko (71), Mäkinen (65), and Bösiger (53).
The team placings in the first race were Truck Sport Lutz Bernau (Albacete / Oestreich) first, followed by Castrol Team Hahn Racing (Hahn / Mäkinen) and MKR Technology (Lacko / Bösiger). MKR was the winner in the second race ahead of Bernau and OXXO Energy Truck Race Team (Kiss / Major).

Supported by Meritor Translation: Eliot Lobo

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