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Sunday in Zolder Part 1 – Yet again, Kiss captures pole at the last second

Sunday in Zolder Part 1 – Yet again, Kiss captures pole at the last second

20. September 2015Zolder - Sunday morning in the Belgian province of Limburg was a rather cool 10°C. A few clouds scattered across the sky meant no more prospects of rain on this second race day of the 8th round of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship on Circuit Zolder.
At the warm-up, which begins after 10 am here because of the church service in the tiny chapel on the infield, the track afforded excellent levels of grip and average speeds were higher than on Friday and Saturday.
Defending champion Norbert Kiss (MAN) from Hungary was quickest once again with 1:57.878s.
Czech Adam Lacko (Freightliner), the two MAN pilots Jochen Hahn (GER) and Antonio Albacete (ESP), the second Buggyra Freightliner with David Vršecký (CZE), and German René Reinert (MAN) all managed times under the 2 minute mark.
In the ensuing qualifying the majority of these stuck to the usual procedure of pitting after a single flying lap, to conserve their tyres for the SuperPole and the two races to come.
Kiss had gone even faster, with a time of 1:57.187s. Seven others joined him in the pits after their one lap –Albacete, Lacko, Vršecký, Hahn, Reinert, Frenchman Anthony Janiec, and German Ellen Lohr (both MAN).
All of a sudden the two MAN men Sascha Lenz (GER) – No. 7 – and Jérémy Robineau (FRA) – No. 9 – inserted themselves into the Top 10. Lohr was 10th, but the Truck Sport Bernau team wasn’t worrying — the rest of the pack were 2 seconds or more slower than she.
But when Portuguese José Teodosio looked like coming dangerously close in his Renault, the team sent Lohr out again three minutes before the close. She promptly went four-tenths quicker, good for 7th ahead of Lenz, Janiec, and Robineau.
After a break of 5 minutes it was time for the SuperPole.
This time it was old fox Albacete who set the best time with a lap of 1:57.191s. Kiss was only a tick slower, but nevertheless down in 5th. In the following laps the times started to drop like dominoes. At the last second Kiss recorded a 1:56.796s to snatch from Lacko the pole he believed he’d secured - by nine-hundredths.
Albacete and Hahn will start on the second row, ahead of Vršecký, Reinert, Lohr, Lenz, Janiec, and Robineau.

Impressions:

Sunday in Zolder Part 1 – Yet again, Kiss captures pole at the last second
Sunday in Zolder Part 1 – Yet again, Kiss captures pole at the last second
Sunday in Zolder Part 1 – Yet again, Kiss captures pole at the last second