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Sunday at the Slovakia Ring Part 3 – Steffi Halm makes a stunning start for a fabulous finish

Sunday at the Slovakia Ring Part 3 – Steffi Halm makes a stunning start for a fabulous finish

16. July 2017Slovakiaring - The weather stayed pleasant and summery, and just how pleasant the final race at the Slovakia Ring was will remain etched in Steffi Halm’s memory – none of her other victories in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship were as overwhelming as this one.
Polesitter Körber made not the best start. Lenz alongside took off faster, but his advantage was almost eclipsed by an explosive burst of speed from Halm. Side by side the two Reinert Adventure teammates bore down on the first corner. Lenz appeared to lift off somewhat earlier, while Halm, who had the best line, was able to keep accelerating and take the lead. As the field shot out of the first corner up the rise leading to the second, the racy young German was already a trucklength ahead, while Lenz had Hahn and the rest of the pack on his tail. Körber had lost more ground in the curve and now found himself in midfield.
While Lenz was being set upon by his pursuers, Halm effortlessly broke away from the rest of the field.
Hahn was the first to overtake his compatriot. One lap later Kiss was past too, and towards mid-race the MAN pilot had to give way to Lacko in the faster Freightliner. But each of these manoeuvres cost time, allowing Halm to pull out such a big lead that she could actually ease off on the closing laps and simply cruise towards the flag. Her win was far more emphatic than the 3-second gap on the timing monitor suggests.
Reigning champ Hahn could feel the heat of his predecessor (and successor) Kiss’s breath down his neck, but wasn’t going to surrender 2nd place by any means. A luckless Lacko had to make do with 4th.
Lenz had to contend with Körber again in the closing laps, the Iveco pilot having clawed his way back up. Yet again, three decades of experience proved no match against the inexorable advance of youth on the up and up, and the thrice European champ had to cede 5th place to Lenz by three tenths.
The most fascinating battle was fought between two other former champions – Vršecký, a two-times titlist, and thrice-champ Albacete. Lap after heart-stopping lap their trucks were either nose-to-tail or side-by-side, Vršecký managing to keep his Buggyra’s snout ahead each time. But on the final lap Albacete got up alongside once again, Vršecký got his right rear tyres onto the grass and momentarily lost grip, and the Spaniard was ahead before you could say ‘olé’.
Kursim finished 9th, having been required to start from the rear of the 15-strong field as a consequence of his failure to finish the earlier race. José Rodrigues was 10th.
Lacko continues to lead the overall standings with 182 points. Kiss is now second with 139, followed by Hahn (135), Halm (133), Albacete (109), Körber (78), and Lenz (74).
Reinert Adventure (Halm / Lenz) was the team winner of Race 4, followed by „Die Bullen von Iveco Magirus“ (Hahn / Körber) and tankpool24 (Kiss / Kursim).
Kursim took his second win of the weekend in the Promoter’s Cup ahead of Rodrigues and Vojtíšek.

Impressions:

Sunday at the Slovakia Ring Part 3 – Steffi Halm makes a stunning start for a fabulous finish
Sunday at the Slovakia Ring Part 3 – Steffi Halm makes a stunning start for a fabulous finish
Sunday at the Slovakia Ring Part 3 – Steffi Halm makes a stunning start for a fabulous finish
Sunday at the Slovakia Ring Part 3 – Steffi Halm makes a stunning start for a fabulous finish