Saturday in Misano Part 2 - Jochen Hahn wins first race

24. May 2014Misano - The temperature by now had risen to 30°C and the track surface was at over 50° — but polesitter Kiss was cool as a cucumber. Past the start line the Hungarian flew effortlessly into the lead, with Hahn and Albacete in hot pursuit. Funnily enough, the leading trio were putting on their best behaviour even as they tore around the track. Things had gotten scrappy down in midfield, however — with plastic bodywork panels flying around at the exit of the first corner itself. A few hundred metres further, in the double-90° bend, Körber slammed into Reinert and had to limp on into the pits with a broken front spring, while the MAN driver was able to carry on without any apparent damage.
Kiss meanwhile drew out a gap between himself and the pair of Hahn and Albacete. Behind them Bösiger was leading the two Buggyra pilots Vršecký and Lacko in another clump of three trucks. But all the excitement was being generated by the third group headed by Reinert, who had to call on every last reserve to fend off the vehement attacks of his MAN colleagues Halm and Major, and the Portuguese Renault pilot José Teodosio.
Fans of the Hungarian OXXO team were hit by a heart-stopper midway through the race when Kiss, comfortably in the lead, suddenly ran wide in a corner, allowing his closest pursuers to sweep past. Now battling a recalcitrant steering, it was all Kiss could do to stay in the race and finish in fifth.
And thus Hahn was handed his first victory of the new season, ahead of Albacete and Bösiger, Vršecký having to make do with best of the rest. Lacko followed Kiss home in sixth. The fight for seventh was fierce till the finish, Reinert eventually crossing the line two-tenths ahead of Halm. The young German will start Saturday’s second race in pole, the first in her career. Major and Teodosio rounded off the top 10, the trailing quartet not quite three seconds apart.
Truck Sport Bernau (Albacete / Bösiger) was the top team, with Team Reinert Adventure (Hahn / Reinert) and Buggyra (Vršecký / Lacko) in second and third.

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