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Sunday in Zolder Part 3 - Sweet second victory for Albacete

Sunday in Zolder Part 3 - Sweet second victory for Albacete

15. September 2019Zolder - Everything pointed to a win for René Reinert in the weekend’s final race. On paper the Iveco pilot was simply too strong for the relatively inexperienced polesitter Jamie Anderson. But was he really? The 14,000 spectators would shortly find out.
As it happened, Anderson handily won the sprint to T1 and Reinert was set upon by Albacete and Kursim. A few hundred metres later the Lusatian drifted a wee bit, enough for the MAN driver and Reinert’s Iveco colleague to get the jump on the blue #77 truck.
Lenz meanwhile ploughed his way through the rear half of the 18-strong field (having had to start last because of his failure to finish Race 3) and was up to P7 at the end of the first lap itself. His advance benefited from the misfortunes of two other top pilots. Hahn had picked up a puncture at the start, but managed to keep going till the finish. And Lacko appeared to have run into Kiss ahead of him somewhat too hard, critically damaging the front of his Freightliner. The Czech limped home forthwith and retired.
Anderson continued to lead, with a platoon of six trucks in hot pursuit. Hahn, meanwhile, had fallen away and was concentrated solely on securing his rearward. Four laps long Anderson held up, before Albacete finally made his move, with Kursim directly in his draft. In less than a kilometre – from the Villeneuve chicane till the Bolderbergbocht – the four other trucks also thundered past the Brit, who nevertheless managed to keep up with them from there on.
Albacete now led, followed by Kursim and Reinert. Kiss, Halm, and Lenz followed in close formation, waiting for one of the trio ahead them to trip the others up and create a space they could capitalise on.
That eventuality did materialise when, a few laps to the finish, Reinert attempted to overtake Kursim at the final corner. The two entered T1 at the end of the start straight with Reinert on the outside. Apparently carrying more momentum than Kursim into the sweeping right-hander, he moved across onto the outside line and was almost clean past when he hit a patch of dirt, slowing him suddenly and forcing him to slot back in behind the yellow Iveco. Through it all, the Ivecos didn’t lose enough tempo for the liers-in-wait to make any threatening move; all they managed to do was get a little closer. The only one to profit was Albacete ahead – Reinert’s unsuccessful manoeuvre allowed him to build an unassailable lead. The Spaniard finished more than five seconds clear of Kursim, with Reinert a further second down.
Kiss was fourth, followed by Halm, Lenz, and Anderson. Hahn collected three points for his P8 finish, inching him towards an inevitable sixth title. English guest pilot David Jenkins was ninth ahead of compatriot Terry Gibbon (both MAN).
The Grammer Truck Cup podium had Anderson on top, Jenkins second, and Gibbon third.
Löwen Power (Albacete / Lenz) was the top-scoring team, followed by „Die Bullen von Iveco Magirus“ (Hahn / Steffi Halm) and tankpool24 (Kiss / Citignola).
Hahn has extended his lead over Albacete by 10 points. He heads for the penultimate round of the 2019 championship in Le Mans with 272 points to Albacete’s 187. Lacko with 178 is followed by Halm (157), Kiss (156), Reinert (137), and Lenz (119).

Impressions:

Sunday in Zolder Part 3 - Sweet second victory for Albacete
Sunday in Zolder Part 3 - Sweet second victory for Albacete
Sunday in Zolder Part 3 - Sweet second victory for Albacete
Sunday in Zolder Part 3 - Sweet second victory for Albacete
Sunday in Zolder Part 3 - Sweet second victory for Albacete