Championship leader Jochen Hahn took a conclusive win with a lights to flag victory in race one at Most....
Jochen Hahn, driving Team Hahn Racing IVECO, led home local hero Adam Lacko, who, despite his best efforts, had no answer to Hahn’s pace in race one at Most this afternoon. The five-time FIA ETRC title-winner scored his ninth triumph of the 2019 FIA European Truck Racing Championship season to take another step towards what could be an historic sixth title.
Steffi Halm finished third following a tense battle for the final podium spot with Sascha Lenz. The Team Schwabentruck racer was putting pressure on Lenz, who kept her at bay until he suffered a puncture which led to steering damage and retirement for the SL Trucksport30 driver.
As a result, Halm moved up to third and Antonio Albacete (who was sitting fifth for most of the running) claimed fourth for Trucksport Lutz Bernau.
José Rodrigues ended up fifth in his Reboconort Truck Racing Team MAN. The Portuguese racer was initially running behind Norbert Kiss' Tankpool24 Racing Mercedes-Benz and was putting the Hungarian two-time champion under immense pressure. Kiss, together with Anthony Janiec's Lion Truck Racing entry received a drive-through penalty for crossing the white line at the start. The two were avoiding contact in a reaction to Halm's slow getaway.
Sixth went to René Reinert who stayed out of trouble to gain several positions after he missed out on the Super Pole session and startied from 11th on the grid.
André Kursim, on the contrary, had a good start and was up to third at one stage but went through the gravel and lost several positions and re-joined at the foot of the top 10.
Mika Mäkinen, making his FIA ETRC returen, went on to finish 12th overall. Janiec and Kiss ended up 13th and 15th respectively after serving their penalties.
Gibbon Triumphs/Janes Denied
Oly Janes looked to have scored his first GRAMMER TRUCK CUP victory since Race 2 at the Nürburgring last month to extend his points lead in the category. But the British driver was ultimately denied by a post race penalty for overspeeding.
Following a tough qualifying performance, the British racer who started down in 16th, had a clean race and capitalised on other driver’s misfortunes to run a strong second. This was promoted to first after Janes' penalty and the T Sport crew was also rewarded with starting from pole position for the semi-reversed grid for the second encounter laster this afternoon.
Anderson Racing driver Jamie Anderson completed an initial all-British GRAMMER TRUCK CUP podium. But there was a sting in the tail for Janes as he was discovered after the initial celebrations that he was penalised.
Starting form 10th overall and on the GRAMMER TRUCK CUP pole, Luis Recuenco cut the first corner on the opening lap which ensured he ran as high as fourth overall but decided to let several drivers by to avoid a penalty for gaining the advantage. The Spaniard lost momentum and ended up third in the GRAMMER TRUCK CUP and 11th overall at the chequered flag.
The following places went to Eduardo Rodrigues, Fabio Citignola, the latter of who received a 10s penalty for overspeeding and Erwin Kleinnagelvoort who was given a post-race penalty of a drive-through converted to 30-seconds.
The disappointed Sascha Lenz was classified 18th and last with two laps down on the leaders after his dramas.