Friday in Most
28. August 2009Most - At a truck racing weekend the Friday is usually a bit boring, because almost nothing ever happens there. The round in Most is one of the few 3-day events in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship, but even there on the first day there are usually only some rather uneventful free practices being held. But today it was quite different. There were hot summery temperatures of about 30 °C (86 °F) and partly gusty winds in the afternoon, when precisely at 2:20 p.m. the first 20-minute free practice began. 19 minutes later suddenly red flags were waved – the practice was stopped.
After the turning point of the circuit in the western part the track is going downhill a bit into a slight left-hand bend, then further downhill into a sharper right-hand bend, and before entering the latter the drivers have to slow down a bit.
And right there Renault pilot Markus Altenstrasser dashed straight on – without using the brake, as observers told at first. But actually there were rather long, continuous skid marks – RaceTrucks don’t have an ABS. Whatever the reason, the 5,500 kg race truck not only ploughed through the slowing down gravel bed, but hit the tyre barriers with such a great force that they could not stop the truck, so that also the crash barriers behind the tyres were steamrolled. Next the RaceTruck went down a slope which is several metres high and eventually came to a stop among some trees.
Altenstrasser was soon rescued – apparently unharmed – and dispatched to a hospital for further thorough medical examinations, but to haul off the truck proved to be very difficult. Neither the recovery vehicle nor the mobile crane the organizers had sent for could stand firmly on the gravel. Cables and ropes were put around the stranded truck and with the utmost care it was hoisted by the crane and lifted over the barriers. Then the truck was towed into the Renault tent, where the mechanics started immediately with the repair works.
Because of the delay it was no longer possible to stick to the schedule, as the damaged crash barriers had to be repaired, too. The truck racers were almost two hours behind schedule when they started the second free practice at 6:00 p.m. As expected, the pilots who dominated this season so far were again setting the pace. In the first practice local hero David Vrsecky was ahead of the German MAN pilot Jochen Hahn, followed by Markus Bösiger from Switzerland and the Spaniard Antonio Albacete. In the second free practice the MAN pilot from Madrid clocked fasted time. Hahn again posted 2nd fastest time ahead of the two Buggyra Freightliner pilots Bösiger and Vrsecky. Finally the G4 were separated by less than 4 tenths of each other. Behind them were MAN pilot Chris Levett (GBR), local hero Frankie Vojtisek (Renault), the Austrian Egon Allgäuer and the Hungarian Balazs Szobi (both MAN).
It was already evening when the pilots met for the drivers briefing – perhaps the latest time ever for a briefing to be held. Team boss Vojtisek and team manager Radek Mencel once again confirmed that Markus Altenstrasser was left unhurt in the spectacular accident.
