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Saturday in Le Mans – part 1

Saturday in Le Mans – part 1

13. October 2012Le Mans - The agenda of the European Truckracing Championship in Le Mans is entirely full. That is why the 11th race of the FIA ETRC started at 8:30 in the morning for the truck racers with the first free practice. The temperatures were at 10 C°, it was still kind of dark outside and even the lighting on the race track was still turned on. It is questionable if it’s because it was so early in the morning or because of the rainstorm that had just hit, but it took the race trucks a long time to get on the track. The asphalt became drier and the times were a little bit faster, still not really fast. Maybe the drivers did not want to risk anything. The frontrunner for the championship, Jochen Hahn (GER), drove the fastest lap in his Castrol MAN. He was more than 2 seconds faster than his compatriot Markus Oestreich (Renault) and his only rival in the battle for the title Antonio Albacete (MAN, ESP). The other drivers had taken more time.
One and a half hours later the second free practice took place during heavy rain. Eventually these times were even less informative, because it seemed like everyone was taking it a little slower. The drivers will only have to show their cards in the timed practice and in the Super Pole that follows.
When the timed practice began it started raining again. When the drivers entered the race track there was a big sign saying that the race track is wet and that they would have to turn on their lights. Everyone knew that before, but not all were able to prepare for it – there were many surprises. This time no one turned into the pit lane too early, because this time they were not sure if their time was good enough for the Super Pole of the top ten. All drivers stayed on the track as long as they could. Hahn was the fastest one and this was not a surprise, but that the Hungarian Norbert Kiss (MAN), the Frenchman Anthony Janiec (Renault) and the Fin Mika Mäkinen (MAN) would follow close behind him that was something no one had expected. Not until then did some of the best drivers follow, such as David Vrsecky (CZE) on the Buggyra Freightliner, Albacete and the Swiss Markus Bösiger (Renault). Dominique Lacheze (MAN) placed 8th ahead of the race-by-race driver Gerd Körber (GER) in his Iveco. Oestreich placed 10th just barely and his Czech teammate Adam Lacko – after all, third in the Championship - did not make it in the top ten. Just in time for the Super Pole it had stopped raining and the final result met the expectations a little bit more. Albacete won the pole ahead of Hahn, Janiec, Vrsecky, Kiss, Bösiger, Oestreich, Mäkinen, Körber and Lacheze.

Impressions:

Saturday in Le Mans – part 1
Saturday in Le Mans – part 1
Saturday in Le Mans – part 1