Saturday in Misano Part 3 – Lenz makes his long-sought ETRC breakthrough

26. May 2018Misano - As long as the story of the first race of the season was, so much shorter – if no less eventful – was that of the second. There’d been considerable frustration all round, stemming from the huge delay in the start. The programme was already three quarters of an hour behind schedule, and then the podium ceremony for the first race dragged on a good while. After everything, the start of the second race was delayed by half an hour – not quite enough for some teams. The trucks of Halm, Körber, Reinert, and Faas weren’t ready in time, which meant that this quartet would have to take up the chase from the rear of the field.
At the lights Anderson ceded his pole immediately to Lenz, the Englishman dropping out altogether a little later. Smith had an early collision with Albacete, which left his truck a near wreck. The Spaniard was able to get back in the fight with a badly disfigured truck. Somewhat halfway into the race, Körber had to pack it in. Nineteen trucks had started the race; only 15 saw the flag.
While Lenz cruised to the first win of his ETRC career, the real race was unfolding right behind him. Janiec in 2nd soon had Lacko and Hahn hot on his heels. The Frenchman held them off resolutely till the penultimate lap, when Lacko finally succeeded in shooting past the Lion MAN. Hahn decided to attempt the same manoeuvre a little further down the road, but came off the worse for it and had to content himself with 4th behind Lenz, Lacko, and Janiec.
Kiss, who’d had to start from the end of the field as a consequence of his earlier disqualification, had in characteristic fashion surged up to 5th, followed by Robineau. Every bit as impressive were the drives by Reinert and Halm – both having started from pit lane – to 7th and 8th.
MAN pilot Shane Brereton was 9th and Albacete took the final point, having battled his way up from 18th following that collision in the early laps.
The team honours went to Reinert Adventure (Lenz / Reinert) ahead of „Die Bullen von Iveco Magirus“ and Buggyra Racing 1969.
Robineau was first in the Grammer Truck Cup classification, followed by Brereton and Janes.
Hahn leads the championship standings after the first race day with 27 points, followed by Lacko (24), Lenz and Janiec (both 14), and Albacete and Halm (both 13).

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