Sascha Lenz took his second career FIA ETRC victory in Race 2 at Hungaroring...
Sascha Lenz took a popular win at Hungaroring in Race 2 this afternoon after a dramatic race.
The German had a disappointing start to the weekend, making a mistake in the Super Pole session and only qualifying eighth for the earlier race. He then found himself second on the grid for Race 2, following seventh place finish in Race 1.
Following the start, the MAN racer got the better of polesitter René Reinert. From that moment on there was no match for Lenz, who gradually extended his advantage over second-place Reinert to eventually finish 7.6s clear of his fellow German.
Reinert brought his IVECO truck home in second, ahead of the similar machine entered by Truck Schwabentruck and driven by Steffi Halm.
Throughout the majority of the race there was a seven-truck train running nose to tail, starting with second-placed Reinert.
André Kursim went on to finish fourth to make it three IVECOs in the top four for the Italian brand.
Local ace Norbert Kiss, this time starting from third on the grid, recorded his second fifth-place finish of the day in his Tankpool24 Racing Mercedes-Benz.
The Hungarian lost two places on the opening lap and spent the remainder of the race doing his best to keep the hard-charging Team Hahn Racing IVECO of Jochen Hahn at bay.
Starting eighth, Hahn gained a place at the start, moving ahead of José Rodrigues' Reboconort entry. Hahn then had a lengthy battle with Antonio Albacete’s Truck Sport Lutz Bernau-run MAN and finally took sixth position away from the Spaniard who went on to finish seventh.
Adam Lacko crossed the line in eighth overall, following a start from the very back of the grid, a result of being disqualified from the first race.
The 2017 title-winner gained seven places on the opening lap and later closed on Rodrigues to eventually pass him. Rodrigues crossed the line ninth on the road but was given a drive-through penalty that was converted to a 30s penalty and dropped him down the order.
Gibbon Grabs GRAMMER Glory
As a result of Rodrigues' misfortune, Terry Gibbon moved up to ninth overall, taking the GRAMMER TRUCK CUP honours at the same time in what is his first weekend of racing in the FIA ETRC this season.
Starting from 11th on the grid, Gibbon had a good getaway and showed good pace in the race, finding his way by Oly Janes and Luis Recuenco
Recuenco, in the second of the MANs run by Truck Sport Lutz Bernau, rounded out the top 10, taking second in the GRAMMER TRUCK CUP at the same time.
The podium for the chrome-categorised drivers was completed by Oly Janes in the second Buggyra Racing Freightliner. Janes was leading the category initially but later dropped down the order as a result of a brake problem that cause him to run wind in Turn 4 on the opening lap.
12th went to Fabio Citignola in the Team Tankpool24 Racing Mercedes-Benz who finished one place ahead of Jamie Anderson who running within the top three in the GRAMMER TRUCK CUP standings but was delayed by a drive-through penalty, being a result of breaching track limits.
The two final places went to father and son – the delayed (by penalty) José Rodrigues and his father Eduardo, who, in the wake of Dominique Orsini’s retirement was the final truck to finish the race.
Löwen Power took the team honours, with Die Bullen von IVECO Magirus second and Team Tankpool24 Racing third.