Friday, 29.03.2024 | Deutsch | English
Sunday in Spielberg Part 2 – Steffi is sovereign in Race 3

Sunday in Spielberg Part 2 – Steffi is sovereign in Race 3

14. May 2017Spielberg - Steffi Halm convincingly capitalised on her pole position, negotiating the first corner at kissing distance from the kerb to take the lead from Hahn. But before their pursuers could pitch their battle, there was a mighty clash halfway through the first lap. On the approach to the recursive curve that completes the ETRC loop several trucks tangled, sending some of them grinding into the gravel. When the massive dust cloud had cleared, what was left of the field was in total disarray. Körber and Kiss slowly picked their way up from the rear, with grim determination setting off in pursuit of a midfield that was rapidly retreating into the distance, their laboured chase only emphasising just how closely matched this season’s top trucks are.
The leading duo continued to lap undisturbed, heaping daylight between themselves and their closest pursuer, Antonio Albacete. The Spaniard in turn had a comfortable cushion on José Rodrigues and Lacko. The contest for sixth place between Kursim and Lenz was eventually won by the latter, who immediately proceeded to pull ahead of the Mercedes. Kursim, by contrast, was soon set upon from the rear by the duo of Alen Draganovic (Buggyra Freightliner) and Ryan Smith (MAN). The Slovenian had been a gratuitous beneficiary of the tohubohu resulting from the first-round crash, finding himself unexpectedly in midfield.
Körber and Kiss meanwhile kept making up ground and were in sight of the points. After the Hungarian had passed the Iveco, he was set on capturing 8th place and, with it, pole on the ensuing reversed grid for Race 4.
The trucks in positions three through six were beyond shouting distance of each other. The only possible change of place could have happened at the front, Hahn tailing Halm by not quite half a second.
The attention now was centred on the three-way battle between Kursim, Smith, and Draganovic, and another epic comeback attempt by Kiss.
Three laps to the flag the Britisher and the Slovene collided so heavily that both trucks were brought to a battered standstill trackside, bogged down in the very spot in the gravel trap where the victims of the first-lap crash had ended.
The race was broken off, the classification corresponding to that at the end of the 16th lap. Steffi Halm had just secured her first win in a 20-points race; Kiss had his chase cut short while in 10th.
Kursim finished seventh behind Lenz. Smith took 8th, and with it pole for the final race, ahead of Draganovic.
Team Reinert Adventure (Halm / Lenz) was the top team, followed by Truck Sport Bernau + Reboconort (Albacete / José Rodrigues) and Die Bullen von Iveco Magirus (Hahn / Körber).

Impressions:

Sunday in Spielberg Part 2 – Steffi is sovereign in Race 3
Sunday in Spielberg Part 2 – Steffi is sovereign in Race 3
Sunday in Spielberg Part 2 – Steffi is sovereign in Race 3
Sunday in Spielberg Part 2 – Steffi is sovereign in Race 3