After excellent results in two last races at the circuit in Most, and especially at Zolder in Belgium, Gerd Körber moved up to the second place in total, and the entire Buggyra Racing Team came to the penultimate at Jarama with great ambitions. And perhaps we expected kind of certainty and conviction that everything will go smoothly again. But, Harri Luostarinen, Finland, Antonio Albacete, Spain, and Markus Bösiger, Switzerland, are legitimately leering at the championship title. It was an omen of hard dogfights for each cup point. Especially, when pilots as Alan Ferté, a Frenchman, and naturally David Vršecký as well, who managed to reach podium placements during this season, are at stake, too. However, their advance to anyone of leading places in closing standings is now in the sphere of theory, but yet prestige is prestige and each good place in a race gives pleasure. The only driver, who did not participate in fights at the circuit being in a close vicinity of the Spain metropolis, was still wounded Stanislav Matějovský. He was replaced by Ludovic Faure, a Frenchy, who was however ineligible for cup points.
Directly the first free practice, which was held on Saturday morning, hinted that that favorites have no advantage. Although Gerd had a lead at first, roughly in the middle of practices, Bösiger overcame his time, and surprisingly, in the last allowed minute, Faure as well. David firstly familiarized himself with the racing track, which is - regarding its numerous turns as well as relatively high superelevation - technically difficult. It seemed that he places fifth, but Luostarinen pushed him back to the sixth place by his last practice lap. The Finn definitely did not start his practices to his best of ability, but even worse Albacete fell out with the other Caterpillar, who came eights on his home ground behind Arlaud, a French outsider.
Before the second free practice, mechanics replaced a differential gear of Gerd's truck, which evidently had taken a lot of punishment during his "frills" for spectators after his win at Zolder. This time, both yellow Tatras of the Deutsche Post Team dominated the score sheet. Gerd was again third behind Bösiger and Ferté, despite of Gerd's efforts to improve, during the entire practice, his time from his very first "flying" lap. David detracted four tenths from his first practice time, and so he rank seventh among ten trucks behind Albacete and Luostarinen.
The third free practice was on the program after the noon-hour, which agreed with Gerd and was as if it had been best for Gerd. At its beginning, Gerd took the lead in this practice, and only Faure spoiled his good mood, when only he cut his time. In the light of results, David's sixth place between the incumbent cup leader, Luostarinen, Finland, and home "Cepsa" Albacete could be rightly considered as a success. The difference of one second between the first and seventh driver witnessed the closeness of top pilots in truck sports.
The decisive drives took place in the Timed Practice, the so-called crucial hour of truth, in which pilots can fifteen times ring round the circuit and try to get their best times. Gerd got into this practice with new injectors injecting the fuel to cylinders. Mechanics adjusted the front axle setting of David's vehicle. Standings in the Timed Practice were changing during this single hour, and roughly 20 minutes before the end, Gerd and David were third and seventh respectively. In that moment, the practice was stopped for a quarter of an hour approximately, since it was necessary to tow away Faure, whose truck had the jammed accelerator pedal, and because of it Faure hit a crash-barrier before one of dangerous turns, and partially he also blocked the track. Thereafter, Gerd tried again to improve his time in vain, however Faure succeeded to get before him to the third position. Immediately before the end of this practice David got directly behind Gerd to the fifth place. He lagged behind his more experienced team-mate for only 68 thousandths of second. Luostarinen had the fastest lap before Bösiger. Certainly, the greatest surprise was the only seventh place of Antonio Albacete.
Results of the Timed Practice caused certain embarrassment, and faces of many team members were stigmatized by disappointment. In contrary, David seemed to be very pleased. Gerd complained that he could not "get familiarized" with the truck, especially with the engine. After an assessment of all and any data, and after a short skull session of team's technical managers, Martin Koloc decided to implement an interesting solution: "We will swap engines of both vehicles, in addition to running maintenance!" and mechanics knew at once, what is in store for them in coming few hours. They found the work easy and on about the midnight both Buggyras' engines started again. However, hardly anybody had a hunch how this at first sight rather psychical operation would reflect in Sunday's results
The first shock came immediately in the morning warm-up, when David was in the lead after several laps - even in the record time of the entire weekend!!! Gerd was fourth, but he was much more satisfied, in despite of the fact that mechanics had to grasp his Byggyra into their hands once again before the qualification race.
The start of the qualification race was postponed, because the differential gear of Bösiger's Tatra fell to pieces in the lead-in lap, and the track pavement had to be cleaned of spilt oil. In this way one of favorites was knocked out of the game and Luostarinen remained alone in the first row of the starting grid. However, Faure spoiled Luostarinen's raid on the bank with points, who crashed into Luostarinen's truck shortly after the start, and both sank into the second half of the ruck. So drivers starting on the fifth to seventh place had a free road ahead. The finish of the first lap was reached first by Ferté before David, Albacete, and Gerd, who made his best to sidetrack from the crack-up after the start. However, Gerd's intentions were much higher than that, and in the second lap he overran Albacete, a home pilot on this circuit, to disfavor of crowded stands. However Gerd had definitely the edge on Albacete, since Gerd made a sufficient lead before him during two following laps, and ha began to pursue David. But, David went so well that he even drew close to Ferté, and his attack upon the first place could be awaited. However in contrary, team's tactics commanded to David to slow down, and leave one point more for Gerd, who was still fighting for his championship title. "It was David, who made the race", said Martin Koloc after the end.
Shortly after the cup race start, Ferté established himself as a leader, and in spite of Gerd's pursuit he came closely first in the end. Less than four tenths of a second were between them at the finishing tape. Again, David conducted well, who came third. During entire 13 laps he made no mistake, of which hard thrusting Luostarinen could make the account. Approximately three laps before the finish, Luostarinen realized that he had to get satisfied with his fourth place, and další útoky resigned any further attacks. For the first time in cup's history, both our pilots were standing on the winners' podium together. Team's joy was great in that moment. "Both of them had done a good job, and Gerd knows well that David fought for him as well", said Martin in the pits then.
After nine events, Gerd reduced the lead of Luostarinen, a front runner, to only three points. Albacete, who came third, is 16 points behind the second place. So the championship will be presumably decided between these two rivals only. The final event will held place on the Lausitzring, Germany, less than two weeks from today.
