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Saturday in Smolensk

Saturday in Smolensk

07. August 2010Smolensk - Since the truck racers arrived at the Smolenskring, temperatures of 40 °C and more are the norm. And today there was no exception. As the official opening ceremony for the Smolenskring had been advanced, the pilots were the most affected this time. According to schedule they had lined up in the pit lane, but the timed practice was delayed by more than 40 minutes because of the ceremony. After doing only two or three fast laps, the top pilots returned to the pit lane. Only those who had not yet secured a top ten position, fought to the very last minute. Finally the two MAN pilots Jean-Pierre Blaise (BEL) und José Bermejo (ESP) as well as the Frenchman Michel Basanelli in his DAF fell by the wayside. The super pole was a matter between the Spaniard Antonio Albacete and his British MAN colleague Chris Levett who, in the end, was less than 7 hundredths slower. David Vrsecky (CZE) in his Buggyra Freightliner and MAN pilot Jochen Hahn (GER) were on the 2nd row, ahead of the two MKR Renault drivers Markus Bösiger (SUI) and Markus Oestreich (GER), the two MAN pilots Alex Lvov (RUS) and Adam Lacko (CZE), and Anthony Janiec (FRA) in his Renault as well as the Russian guest pilot Mike Konovalov in the second Buggyra.
The story of the first race is quickly told. Albacete pulled away quickly and took a lead he was never to lose. Hahn and Albacete pushed ahead of Levett, but Oestreich, who had managed to pull away from Lacko, was now stuck behind the Brit. Bösiger made a good getaway and moved up several places, but already in the second bend he dropped back and was now even behind Lvov. After a hard fight the Swiss managed to leave the Russian behind, but Lacko was already too far ahead, so that Bösiger had to be content with 7th. Konovalov and Janiec completed the points-scoring positions.
For Lvov his 8th place finish meant pole position in the second race. Bösiger lined up alongside the Russian, Albacete and Hahn were on the 4th row. Right after the start there was a first-turn skirmish, and suddenly both yellow MAN trucks were heading the field. Bösiger had dropped back a little, but for the Swiss the worse was yet to come. Vrsecky became entangled with the Renault which resulted in a damaged air tube. Despite his handicaps – a reduced braking action and decreasing servo steering – the Swiss managed to finish in 10th thereby collecting 1 point. At the front of the pack Hahn had taken control and now mounted an attack on the leading pilot Lvov. To the dismay of his Russian fans the local hero took to the gravel bed, lost several positions and eventually was forced to retire. That allowed Hahn to take over the lead and ultimately the win, while Oestreich tried in vain to snatch away the runner-up position from Lacko. Vrsecky was chasing hard after Albacete, but eventually he had to be content with 5th position – 2 tenths behind the Spaniard. Levett had a relatively lonely race in 6th position, while Konovalov, in 7th, finished again within the points. Blaise and Bermejo gained their first points this season.
The team ranking in the first race was won by Truck Sport Bernau (Albacete / Levett) ahead of MKR Technology (Bösiger / Oestreich) and Team HahnOxxo Racing (Hahn / Birnbauer) – with Hahn as the sole driver of the team. The winner of the second race was MKR Technology, followed by Truck Sport Bernau and Team HahnOxxo Racing.