ETRC - Hahn and Albacete Take Sunday Wins in Slovakia
ETRC - 2019 Race of Slovakia - Race 3 & 4
Jochen Hahn maintained his 50% win strike rate of 2019 with another masterclass performance in the third race of the weekend on Sunday afternoon.
The Hahn Racing driver vanquished his rivals to lead home an IVECO 1-2-3 as Rene Reinert took second position and Steffi Halm took her third straight podium in her Team Schwabentruck challenger.
The win meant that Hahn has now notched up six wins from 12 races so far in 2019 and in doing so has extended his championship lead to 41-points over Halm.
The final race of the weekend saw Antonio Albacete claim his first FIA ETRC win since Le Mans last September.
The Spanish ace claimed the lead on the first lap after overtaking pole sitter Sascha Lenz to ensure that the Truck Sport Lutz Bernau driver ended a generally frustrating weekend on a hugely positive note.
The large Slovakian crowd enjoyed some fierce action during the popular FIA ETRC weekend which saw a bustling paddock and soaring temperatures matched by the white hot track action.
Race 3
Jochen Hahn took a commanding, lights to flag victory in the third race of the weekend at the Slovakia Ring, completing a 1-2-3 for IVECO, with Rene Reienrt and Steffi Halm sealing an all-German podium.
Pole sitter Hahn had Norbert Kiss for company on front row of the grid and the reigning champion executed a smooth getaway, while his fellow front row starter immediately dropped down the order when the lights went green.
Starting from third, Rene Reinert enjoyed a solid start aboard his Reinert Racing IVECO and even briefly challenged Hahn for the lead in the early running. But Hahn kept Reinert at bay and managed to open up a 2.5s gap on an untroubled drive to clinch his sixth victory of the season.
Steffi Halm made up two places during the opening lap exchanges and brought her Team Schwabentruck machine home in third, to record her third consecutive podium finish at Slovakiaring, a circuit where she has enjoyed notable success in the past.
Click HERE for more on Race 3
Result of Race 3 HERE
Race 4
Antonio Albacete took his first win of his 2019 FIA ETRC campaign today after taking his Truck Sport Lutz Bernau challenger to victory in the final race of the weekend.
Albacete ended the Slovakiaring meeting on a high after a generally difficult three races prior to his success saw him in the lower reaches of the points scoring positions.
An excellent start and a decisive move on polesitter Sascha Lenz ensured that the Spaniard broke the German stranglehold which has seen three German winners in as many races.
Sascha Lenz was holding on to second place but was usurped by a charging Norbert Kiss in his Tankpool24 Racing Mercedes-Benz.
The Hungarian immediately applied pressure on second-placed Lenz and the battle lasted for several laps before the Tankpool24 Racing driver Kiss dived for the inside of the SL Trucksport 30 driver in the closing stages to clinch a spirited second place.
Lenz was struggling for pace towards the end of the 8 lap encounter and was falling in to the clutches of Adam Lacko's Buggyra Racing Freightliner. Lenz eventually finished just 0.133s ahead of the 2017 title-winner.
Click HERE for more on Race 4
Result of Race 4 HERE
Points standings after 12 races HERE