Sunday in Zolder Part 2 - Kiss takes commanding win
21. September 2014Zolder - There was no rain after qualifying, and the track conditions had improved as a result. But that was little consolation for the Reinert team, which had made the embarrassing mistake of running two non-registered tyres in qualifying. (On each day the Top 10 pilots get their tyres through a draw of lots, a single set they have to make do with for qualifying and both the races. The tyres have RFID chips embedded in them so that their use can be monitored at all times.) René Reinert’s mechanics had inadvertently mounted two tyres without the right number in the chips on the drive axle of his MAN, an infraction that invited immediate cancellation of the Lusatian’s times, sending him to the rear of the grid at 22nd.
Then, before the trucks could really launch into the race, André Kursim (GER) caused no small stir when his tankpool24 Mercedes peeled off into the pits at the end of the formation lap with mechanical problems. The truck was set right in next to no time, but by then the field was already approaching the startline for the second lap.
Kiss clearly made the better start than Albacete, but what surprised all was the pace at which he increased his lead. From there on, victory was never in doubt. In fact, all places down to seventh were decided at the end of the first lap itself. Albacete and Hahn flanked Kiss on the podium. They were followed at the finish by Lacko, Vršecký, Bösiger, and Vojtíšek. Eighth place, and with it pole position for the final race, was bitterly contested right till the last corner between teammates Blaise and Halm. In the entry into the final chicane Halm mounted another assault, came up alongside Blaise, whose truck went into a skid and touched the front of Halm’s Lion MAN, sending her skittering off the track. Her loss of momentum allowed Frenchman Anthony Janiec (MAN) and Reinert to move up, while Blaise managed to hold it together and finish eighth.
Championship leader Truck Sport Bernau (Albacete / Bösiger) was once again the top-scoring team, ahead of OXXO Racing (Kiss / Major) and Buggyra (Vršecký / Lacko).
Impressions:
