Friday, 29.03.2024 | Deutsch | English
Saturday in Spielberg Part 2 – Hahn kicks off title defence in champion style

Saturday in Spielberg Part 2 – Hahn kicks off title defence in champion style

13. May 2017Spielberg - The first race of the season was a cakewalk for Jochen Hahn. At the start it looked like Steffi Halm would hold her own alongside, but the Iveco pilot made it into and out of the cut that completes the truck racing loop ahead, and from then on he led his compatriot, the only lady racer in the field this season, unchallenged till the flag. Behind the two of them, however, it was touch and go for a long while. Young MAN pilot Lenz looked confident in third place despite everything 30-year veteran and Iveco regular Körber was throwing at him. The two Germans were tailed by a quartet consisting of Smith, Lacko, Kiss, and José Rodrigues, hungrily eyeing the battle ahead of them and waiting to pounce.
Approximately halfway through, Körber squeezed alongside on the approach to the final bend and was soon past into third, leaving Lenz in Smith’s clutches, the remaining three of the aforementioned quartet now following in what appeared to be resigned procession. But when the Britisher suddenly lost pace, they were onto him and ahead in no time. Now Lenz had Lacko looming large in his mirrors. Shortly before the finish Lacko moved up on the MAN and then proceeded to set upon Körber, the Iveco pilot only managing to salvage his podium place by two-tenths.
Kiss crossed the line close on Lenz’s crash guard, followed by José Rodrigues and home hero Altenstrasser. The Iveco pilot had passed the continuously slowing Smith and, with his 8th-place finish, collected pole for the second race of the day.
The Britisher was followed home in 10th by veteran Antonio Albacete, who’d had to make a trip into the pits mid-race.
The podium for the newly instituted Promoter’s Cup, following in the tradition of the TRO Sponsors’ Challenge, was constituted by José Rodrigues on the top step, his father Eduardo (MAN), and the young German tankpool24 pilot André Kursim (Mercedes).

Impressions:

Saturday in Spielberg Part 2 – Hahn kicks off title defence in champion style
Saturday in Spielberg Part 2 – Hahn kicks off title defence in champion style
Saturday in Spielberg Part 2 – Hahn kicks off title defence in champion style