Jochen Hahn took a tenth win of the 2019 FIA ETRC season in race one at Zolder....
Jochen Hahn scored his 10th victory of the 2019 FIA European Truck Racing Championship at Circuit Zolder this afternoon.
It was a hard fought win for the Hahn Racing IVECO driver as he tracked and pounced on leader Antonio Albacete at the start of lap 10 with a move down the inside of the Spaniard at turn one after Albacete lost momentum while lapping slower traffic.
The Trucksport Lutz Bernau driver had got the drop on pole sitter Jochen Hahn as they accelerated off the line and claimed the line for turn one.
Albacete’s was looking for a repeat of his 2018 success in race one and help to cut the points standings gap on the reigning champion before Hahn’s decisive move.
Adam Lacko claimed third position for the Buggyra Racing team after a relatively lonely race The Czech driver was unable to get on terms with the front two but was also sufficiently ahead of fourth placed Andre Kursim.
The battle for fifth place was one of the highlights of the 12-lap encounter as Norbert Kiss defended valiantly from Rene Reinert and Steffi Halm as the trio circulated in close formation.
Despite several attempts Reinert was at first unable to find a way passed and in the second phase of the race had to defend hard from a charging Halm. But Halm managed to forge a way through on Lap 10 to seal sixth place and demoting Reinert to seventh.
Taking an excellent eighth place and a second consecutive semi-reverse grid pole was Terry Gibbon in his T Sport MAN.
The British ace emerged in the lead after the first lap when GRAMMER TRUCK CUP pole sitter Luis Recuenco ran wide at the first turn. Gibbon then showed brilliant consistency pull clear of David Jenkins and take a third straight GRAMMER win.
Jenkins enjoyed a highly creditable 2019 FIA ETRC debut and took ninth overall and second in class after warding off points leader Oly Janes’ Buggyra Racing Freightliner.
Jamie Anderson tried to get on terms with title rival Janes but had to settle for fourth position ahead of the delayed Recuenco.
Erwin Kleinnagelovoort took sixth from Jose-Eduardo Rodrigues and Fabio Citignola. German youngster Citignola was delayed through excessive smoking and had to serve a penalty.
Dominique Orisini’s race was again spoiled by an overspeeding issue and subsequent penalty.
Sascha Lenz suffered immediate disappointment as his SL Trucksport30 MAN suffered an issue on the formation lap and he was forced to pit. He did however re-join and got some vital laps in before race two later this afternoon.
The teams silverware was claimed by the Die Bullen von IVECO Magirus from Buggyra 1969 and the Lowenpower squad.
Race Results HERE