Adam Lacko survived a late brake scare to win race 2 from Rene Reinert...
Adam Lacko won the second race of the day at Hungaroring this afternoon to claim his first win of the 2018 FIA ETRC season.
The Buggyra International Racing System driver converted pole position to head home Rene Reinert and claim the maximum points.
But it was no easy win for the reigning champion, as Reinert pressured Lacko all the way to the flag, with the German almost capitalising on a late race problem for Lacko. This was due to a steering issue which saw a once healthy gap trimmed to just 0.3s at the chequered flag.
Reinert managed to find a way passed front-row starter Shane Brereton on the opening lap of the race and completed his best result since returning to the FIA ETRC after a year of sabbatical.
Behind the front two there was high drama as Brereton was joined by an eight truck train headed by Steffi Halm who tried to find a way through in the early stages.
The Team Schwabentruck IVECO driver managed to make a clean move at Turn 1 on lap 4, and soon pulled clear to claim her second podium of the day.
Brereton found himself swamped by Sascha Lenz (SL Trucksport MAN) Norbert Kiss (Tankpool24 Racing Mercedes-Benz) and Jochen Hahn (Hahn Racing IVECO), but defended vigorously and actually began to make a gap on the marauding pack.
He was quickly pulled back in though and the large snake of trucks wowed the crowd with bumper to bumper action.
Matters came to a head on lap 5 when Lenz made his move at the chicane and was then quickly followed by Kiss, Hahn, Andre Kursim and Antonio Albacete.
It soon became clear Brereton had an issue and on lap 6 he pitted and retired with a suspected puncture from apparent contact when battling with Kiss.
With Lenz eating in to the gap that Steffi Halm had forged in third place, local hero Kiss tried desperately to clear the SL Trucksport ace.
It wasn’t to be though and Lenz held on to a well-earned fourth position ahead of the Hungarian, with race one winner Jochen Hahn in sixth ahead of Andre Kursim, who battled with Albacete for most of the race in his Don't Touch Racing IVECO.
A very fine ninth overall and the (on the road) winner of the GRAMMER TRUCK CUP was Ray Coleman in the LRS squad run truck.
The British driver, who races in Ryan Smith’s former MAN truck, drove a faultless race to head home Steffen Faas’ Tankpool24 Racing Mercedes-Benz. However, Fass was handed the win after Coleman was penalised for overspeeding and bumped down to 14th overall and fifth in the Cup.
Second in the GRAMMER TRUCK CUP was Oly Janes who also took 11th overall in his Buggyra International Racing System Freightliner.
Ahead of Janes was fellow Brit Ryan Smith who delivered a typically combative race to come through from a penalty strewn first race to grab the final point in 10th.
Rounding out the GRAMMER TRUCK CUP podium was Terry Gibbon who also claimed 12th overall for his T Sport squad. Luis Recuenco took fourth in class and 13th overall.
Erwin Kleinnagelvoort registered 15th while the delayed Brereton was the final classified truck in 16th.
Jamie Anderson had another frustrating race in his MAN as he pulled off and retired midway around the first lap.
Sealing the teams championship maximum points in Race 2 was the Team Reinert Adventures duo of Rene Reinert and Sascha Lenz.
The Sunday races will take place tomorrow at 13.15 and 15.45 local time respectively.