Norbert Kiss and Antonio Albacete win European Truck Racing Races of Slovakia

Norbert Kiss and Antonio Albacete win European Truck Racing Races of Slovakia

Norbert Kiss (Tankpool24 Racing Mercedes-Benz) and Antonio Albacete (Truck Sport Lutz Bernau) took a win apiece Saturday in the FIA European Truck Racing Championships first ever visit to Slovakia.

The pair, who have five FIA ETRC titles between them, took their first wins of the 2017 season as the monsters of motorsport wowed the large crowds at the Slovakia Ring.

Kiss dominated the opening eight lap encounter from pole position, while Albacete fought from fourth on the grid in race two to seize the lead and ensure he registered his first maximum point score since Le Mans in 2015.

Saturday was also a good day for title standings leader Adam Lacko who extended his points advantage after taking a second and third place finish in the two races.

Race 1
Norbert Kiss took a commanding win in race one of round four of the 2017 FIA European Truck Racing Championship held at Slovakia Ring this afternoon.

Despite not being happy with the setup of his truck after the initial running on Friday, the Team Tankpool24 driver made the best use of his previous car racing experience at the venue to first win the Super Pole session and then translate it into his first win of the 2017 season.

Championship leader, Adam Lacko, finished a distant second with his Buggyra International Racing System-entered Freightliner. The Czech sustained minor damage in a contact just after the start, but went on to finish ahead of his main opponents in the title fight on a circuit that he described as the biggest challenge of the entire season.

Reigning Champion, Jochen Hahn, brought his Hahn Racing Iveco home in third place to score a solid haul of points and staying in contention in the title fight following a difficult weekend at the Nurburgring two weeks ago.

Race 2
Slovakia Ring, a new circuit for 2017 in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship, seems to favour new winners. Following Norbert Kiss’ first win of the year in race one this morning , it was Antonio Albacete who took race two to claim his first FIA ETRC victory since Le Mans in 2015.The emotional win came at the ideal moment for the Truck Sport Lutz Bernau driver as this weekend he is taking part in his 100th round of the FIA ETRC since the championship was established in its current incarnation in 2006. This season also marks a return for the Spaniard, as he was forced to sit out 2016.

Steffi Halm in her Reinert Racing MAN pushed Albacete all the way through the race, but didn’t manage to find a way through and had to settle for second, claiming her best result since round two of the championship held at Misano in May.

With the top eight from race one starting in reverse order, it was Gerd Korber who found himself in pole positon for race two. The Schwabentruck Iveco driver had Andre Kursim for company on the front row of the grid, with David Vrsecky and Antonio Albacete were just behind, occupying row two.


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