Vršecký entered the new racing season famously
There are many question marks hanging over each beginning of any new European Truck Racing Cup. However, among those questions only few are crucial. How are respective stables prepared for this year? What did you do during winter? What innovations do you have in your trucks? With what will new drivers surprise? Buggyra Team can answer briefly a concisely: "We worked like Trojans and now we want to be on a winning streak!"
Maybe, David Vršecký had some racing dreams during winter, but even in the wildest dream he did not become a king, ace, hero or absolute ruler of a racing track. But, on Saturday 8th April, he pulled off a real coup and succeeded absolutely - he left his pit five times - and five times he came back as a winner! It all began in free practices, when he always beat the track record per one lap. Gerd Körber shadowed him as a number-two. By the way - Gerd continued old traditions and had new haircut this year too, as he replaced his last year's head of hair by a crew cut. In the timed practice, behind David, domestic Antonio Albacete, the acting European champion, was second, and rather surprisingly on the third place there was young José Rodrigues of Portugal. Gerd did not succeed in the first lap, and in following laps the track was so overcrowded with almost thirty drivers that he had to settle for his sixth place.
Albacete jumped the gun evidently at the qualification race start and took the lead by one truck length, but David managed to catch up with him in a flash and was at the head of field in the first turn. It was seemingly the hardest attack he had to beat back during ten laps. On the contrary, Hahn, a German driver, began to hammer at Albacete, and three laps before finish he succeeded to overtake this domestic matador. Gerd had a worse position, because he had an accidental collision shortly after the start, and he had to fight to get points for his sixth place.
The main race was David's sweet going, who promptly drew away from the field and forged ahead widening the gap on and on. In last three laps of fifteen laps in total David could afford to slow down actually, both to safe his truck vehicle and at the same time, together with Gerd on the second place, to highlight this Buggyra's "double" win. However, Gerd's path towards his silver podium placement was not easy at all. At the beginning, he had to wriggle his way through several accidents after the start, and then he had to fight a ten-laps battle with Albacete and got ahead of him as late as in the eleventh lap.
Again, David won the Sunday Timed Practice, when he again improved his track record per one lap. Gerd had the third best time, Albacete was second. Our drivers got an A in the qualification race start, because Gerd managed to squeeze on the inside of the first bend to the second place behind David, and the Spaniard was left on the third place only. Blue Buggyras gained an almost three-second lead and they passed leisurely the finish line in the unchanged sequence. Albacete defended his third place before Hahn tilting at him.
So, for the first time in this racing season, the cup race starting grid was headed by David and Gerd together. However, this time they did not use their advantage, since from the start they were attacked hard by drivers behind them and they collided with each other accidentally. On the contrary, domestic Albacete found his way on the inside and thanks to his early start he took the lead. After Bosiger's attack in the first bend, Gerd and David even fell down to the fourth and fifth place respectively, behind Lacko. All the first third of the main race they tried to find a loophole, through which they could to overrun obviously slower Lacko, but Lacko closed all and any opened gaps at once. When David attempted to overrun Lacko, he collided again and fell behind Bosiger to the sixth place. Fortunately, right in the next lap, David overran the Swiss and together with Gerd continued to chase Lacko. After all their effort they failed to realize their plan and all three reached the finish line within lessthan one second.
In the total placement, David is in the lead; he and Albacete have 48 points, Gerd is just behind them losing eight points.
