Sunday in Zolder Part 3 - Bösiger the victor in final race

22. September 2013Zolder - Neither Bösiger nor his MKR Renault team could have dreamed that he would win the final race of the weekend in a hastily prepared replacement truck following his horrific crash on Saturday. But the Swiss used his pole position wisely, and since the race was started in single file, nobody could really surprise him at the start. Reinert initially stuck himself to Bösiger’s rearward, with a pack led by Lacko in hot pursuit. The trucks lapped the circuit in a procession for a couple of laps, but soon enough it was clear that Lacko was determined to get ahead of the German’s MAN.
As it happened, the Czech mounted his attack on Reinert at the end of the final chicane leading into the finish straight, clipping the MAN’s rear mudguard. Both trucks slowed considerably, allowing Albacete and Hahn to catch right up. But the two brawlers nevertheless managed to stay ahead. Reinert’s right outer tyre had been punctured by the impact, though, and was deflating rapidly. The fleetowner from Lausitz began to fall back and was back in 11th place after only a few laps. While this impact only helped Bösiger grow his lead massively, Lacko now had to concentrate on holding off the attacks of his pursuers. He doggedly stuck onto second place for a few laps, but midway through the race (Hahn had by this time dropped out with a ruptured air pipe), Albacete and Kiss first, and then Oestreich and Vršecký, all moved ahead of the MKR pilot, who could only finish in sixth.
Bösiger appeared to be cruising to victory far out at the head of the field, but then Albacete’s battle-scarred MAN got its second wind and the Spaniard started reeling Bösiger in rapidly. But he ran out of track at the finish, having reduced the Swiss’s advantage to the barest 18-hundredths of a second. Kiss crossed the line shortly after in third place. Lacko salvaged his sixth place behind Oestreich and Vršecký only a few tenths of a second ahead of Mäkinen. Robineau was eighth, ahead of the Czech Frankie Vojtíšek (MAN) and Reinert. Shortly before the end of the race Anthony Janiec (FRA) had to abandon his Renault with turbo damage, gratuitously handing the German MAN pilot a point.
His most dangerous pursuer’s failure to finish means that Albacete has stretched his lead in the standings to 21 points. He is now on 340, with Hahn on 319, followed by Oestreich (274), Vršecký (241), Kiss (230), Lacko (181), and Bösiger (146).
MKR Renault (Lacko / Bösiger) was the top team in the final race at Zolder, followed by Truck Sport Lutz Bernau (Albacete / Oestreich) and OXXO Energy Truck Race Team (Kiss / Major).

Impressions: