Norbert Kiss wins it all in virtual Misano

09. June 2020Norbert Kiss was an experienced sim racer long before he switched to trucksport nine years ago, and racing at a computer has remained an enduring passion. The Hungarian ace was, accordingly, the overwhelming favourite before the first digital race of the season at the Hungaroring.
He was true to form at the second event on Sunday, searing the virtual layout of a sunny Misano World Circuit – the programmers of the game had gotten the weather just right – on his lap to pole position for Race 1, going on then to lead the field in his MAN all the way to the chequered flag.
The action all took place behind him. At the end, German Sascha Lenz collected P2 in his MAN ahead of French youngster Téo Calvet in a Buggyra Freightliner.
Race 2, the trucks starting from a partially inverted grid, held a lot of action and race control had its hands full. A pile-up seconds after the lights went green sent trucks slamming into the pit wall and the barrier on the other side. The main victim was Spaniard Antonio Albacete, his MAN coming to a halt, immobile, with its rear wheels on the grass and the front across a third of the track width.
As in real life, the stewards had no choice but to stop the race. The competition following the restart was intense indeed – at times the trucks were more off the track than on it, and penalties rained down.
The top three from Race 1 managed to keep clear of the worst obstacles and pulled ahead of the rest. MAN pilot Jamie Anderson was the first to cross the line, a nose ahead of Kiss, Calvet, and Lenz. But the Brit had picked up so many seconds in penalties for exceeding track limits that he ended up way down in the classification.