ETRC - Lacko & Kursim claim Sunday wins in Belgium
ETRC - 2017 Race of Zolder - Race 3 & 4
Adam Lacko and Andre Kursim claimed the wins on Sunday at Circuit Zolder in Belgium after more fascinating contests in the fight for the 2017 FIA European Truck Racing Championship.
In front of a large crowd the Czech and German racers scooped the maximum points.
Lacko re-established his lead to 53 points in the standings after a gearbox problem hampered his Saturday performances in Belgium.
For Kursim it was a perfect conclusion to a dream weekend, one in which the young Tankpool24 Racing Mercedes-Benz driver not only took his breakthrough in in race four, but then doubled up with another accomplished victory.
Race 3
Adam Lacko bounced back following a difficult Saturday to take his first victory of the weekend at Zolder.
The Buggyra International Racing System driver led lights-to-flag after managing to keep Antonio Albacete at bay.
Initially, it seemed that the Spaniard, in his Truck Sport Lutz Bernau-run MAN, would find himself on the inside line going into turn two, but then he lost out to Jochen Hahn (Team Hahn Racing Iveco) and dropped to third place.
From then on, Lacko had the situation under control, gradually extending his gap that at the chequered flag had stretched to nearly four seconds.
Hahn, in second position, had a lonely race, as Lacko was beyond his reach. Albacete was unable to challenge him, and he was forced to focus on fending off fourth-placed Steffi Halm driving her Reinert Racing-entered MAN.
For more on Race 3 click HERE
For the race result click HERE
Race 4
Andre Kursim, who took his maiden win in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship at Zolder yesterday, made history by adding another victory to his tally and becoming the first ever Promoter’s Cup racer to clinch two overall wins. Furthermore the Team Tankpool24 Racing driver achieved both of his victories over the course of the same weekend.
Kursim remained calm at the start and while others were scrapping for positions behind him, he held on to the lead and started to extend a gap over the chasing pack led by David Vrsecky (Buggyra International Racing System) whose main focus was to keep his rivals at bay.
Vrsecky, who completed the front row of the grid in the semi-reversed race four achieved a herculean task by keeping Kursim’s team-mate Norbert Kiss at bay.
Kiss, in the second of the Tankpool24 Racing’s trucks kept pressurising the Freightliner driver over the course of the entire race but the two-time champion from Czech Republic managed to keep his Hungarian rival behind.
Kiss eventually brought his Mercedes-Benz truck home is third, having to attack and defend in equal measure, and being sandwiched between the two Freightliners for a good part of the race. Race three winner Lacko had a very good start and made it from eighth to fifth in the first sequence of corners and later found his way pass Antonio Albacete for fourth.
Conversely, Steffi Halm (Reinert Racing MAN) went backwards, having dropped from fifth to eighth as the race got under way after a tough weekend for the multiple FIA ETRC race winner.
For more on Race 4 click HERE
For the race result click HERE
For the latest points standings click HERE