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Sunday at the Nürburgring Part 1 - Pole for Kiss

Sunday at the Nürburgring Part 1 - Pole for Kiss

02. July 2017Nürburgring - The final race day of the Truck Grand Prix on the Nürburgring, the 3rd round of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship, dawned to more promising weather than the two days that preceded it. Early in the morning you could see streaks of blue in an otherwise heavily clouded sky. But the track conditions weren’t by any means optimal during warm-up, the drivers were all on used tyres, and not everyone was giving their all. There was simply no way of knowing how to evaluate the lap times in this session. Spaniard Antonio Albacete (MAN) was quickest, with tankpool24 Mercedes pilot Norbert Kiss (HUN) only five hundredths slower. Home hero Hahn in his Iveco, two tenths further adrift, was also within striking distance, as was his countryman Sascha Lenz (MAN).
Things started to crystallise in second qualifying for Super Pole 2. The dry track allowed for up to two-seconds-faster laps. Kiss was quickest now with 1:55.681. The Hungarian, certain of the Super Pole, was back in the pits after that single lap to conserve his tyres. Likewise Albacete, Czech Adam Lacko (Buggyra Freightliner), MAN pilot Anthony Janiec (FRA), Hahn, Lacko’s Czech teammate David Vršecký, the young German and only lady in the 21-strong field Steffi Halm (MAN), her compatriot Gerd Körber in an Iveco, Sascha Lenz, and André Kursim (GER) in the second tankpool24 Mercedes. As it turned out, these 10 were all home and dry.
After a five-minute break it was back to the track in right earnest for even the quickest among them, their times in this 10-minute session determining their start positions on the grid for the day’s first race.
Here too Kiss was peerless with a 1:54.725 on his first flying lap. Albacete was only slivers of a second slower, and Hahn recorded the fourth-quickest time after archrival Lacko.
After a cool-down lap each, all resumed their race against the clock. Kiss could go no faster, but his top time still stood as good enough for pole even if the others came dangerously close – defending Hahn closest of all. The Iveco pilot fell short by only five hundredths and had to content himself with second on the grid. Albacete was third, followed by Lacko, Vršecký, Halm, Lenz, Janiec, Körber, and Kursim.

Impressions:

Sunday at the Nürburgring Part 1 - Pole for Kiss
Sunday at the Nürburgring Part 1 - Pole for Kiss
Sunday at the Nürburgring Part 1 - Pole for Kiss