Sunday in Misano Part 3 – Jochen Hahn wins concluding race

29. May 2016Misano - The skies seemed to have a will of their own, but the truck racers nevertheless were spared another onslaught. In the interval between Sunday’s two races a nasty storm broke over the Misano World Circuit, dumping heavy rain on the track and infield. But the moment the trucks settled into formation for the final race of the weekend it had suddenly started to clear again.
The grid, though, was a mystery to most spectators, as it was different to the result of the previous race. Sure, the monitors had earlier indicated that discrete events in the first race were still being investigated, but then came the final result, which (we imagined) meant the issues had all been resolved to the satisfaction of everyone involved.
But when it was finally announced that there would be no more changes to the result of the third race, Körber and Reinert were each handed a grid-penalty. This dropped both two places down on the grid, to the immediate benefit of Steffi Halm and Anthony Janiec.
Lenz was still on pole, now with Halm alongside, and behind the young MAN pilotess Janiec and Körber.
Halm was somewhat slower to the first corner, but before the end of the first lap she was out in front. Janiec and Hahn had also overcome Lenz in the meanwhile. While her pursuers slowed one another down overtaking and being overtaken, Steffi had built out a handsome lead.
But Hahn was steadily making his way up, and had soon overtaken Janiec to close in on Halm, whom he passed with no resistance on the fifth lap.
From there on, Hahn and Halm drove a rather relaxed race to finish on the top two steps of the podium. But there was an unrelenting dogfight for 3rd place, Janiec fiercely beating back Reinert, who’d latched on. And while the German did appear to be the quicker of the two and even managed to squeeze ahead on a couple of occasions, the Frenchman was having none of it, grabbing his position back almost immediately. To make matters worse towards the close, Lacko now loomed in their mirrors, waiting only for one of the two MAN pilots to take the other out. It was tense, but totally fair racing. A heart-stopping six-tenths separated Janiec from Lacko, with Reinert sandwiched in between, on the drag to the flag.
Sixth place was no less bitterly contested between Lenz and Körber, the young MAN pilot keeping his head to finish ahead of the Schwabentruck Iveco.
The three final points places were once again taken by three MANler - Vojtíšek, Robineau, and Ellen Lohr.
Kiss, meanwhile, was having a torrid time. On his way to the grid the Hungarian noticed that his gearbox was playing up and as a result of which Kiss couldn’t make it onto his 3rd place slot in time. The Mercedes was waved into the pit lane, from where Kiss was only allowed to take up the chase after the field had passed. Even then it wasn’t going smoothly for him, and many expected the Hungarian to return to the pits. By the time his truck finally decided to behave itself, 11th place (the first out of the points) was the best within reach.
Reinert Adventure (Hahn / Reinert) was the top team, ahead of the equal-on-points WOW! Women On Wheels (Lohr / Halm) and Lion Truckracing-Lenz (Janiec / Lenz).
By virtue of his three wins in Misano Lacko now leads the championship with 98 points, followed by Hahn (94), Reinert (61), Janiec (46), Körber (44), Kiss (36), and Halm (35).

Impressions: