Our team was leaving for the last race in this season with a challenging task - try to eliminate Östreich's thirteen point lead, which he had before Ludovic. For many it was an interesting topic for a sci-fi novel, however, for optimists a realistic chance to win the third title in a row for Buggyra in the prestigious super-truck category. Also FIA commissioners had a hunch that it will not be easy, with regard to an unclear ranking, where Tony Iddon, their highest placed representative, warned drivers of aggressive driving tactics and dangerous attacks.
But already the result of Saturday timed practices took the wind out of the greatest optimists' sails. Even though Ludovic reached his second on the grid, however the pole-position was reached by - though by only cool eight hundredth second - Markus Östreich. It was by far not the end of hopes, if FIA commission would not give the verdict to disqualify Ludovic for exceeding the maximum allowed of 160 km/hour. Then, we had to drain the bitter draught of sorrow to the dregs, when David was disqualified as well. He had problems with his engine, and he had to abort his practice after two laps only. Despite he was fifth fastest, commissioners punished him for an alleged traffic offence that David left the circuit through a wrong gate and thus he did not pass the technical control point. So, both penalties sentence Ludovic and David to start into Sunday qualification race from closing places on the grid! However, hope is said to die as the last...
The start of the qualification race developed as expected. Ludovic and David forged to their fourth and fifth place respectively even before the end of home straight and immediately in the second lap overtook Drückenmüller as well. However, they could not make the pace with leading Östreich nor second Albacete, even though Ludovic came third losing only half a second. So, the cup mathematics spoke clearly on Östreich's side even before the final race of this year series. Only in case of his absolute failure and Ludovic's victory, our driver could become the cup's champion! Unfortunately, this hope survived two laps only, in which Ludovic kept after Albacet and Östreich in third place. Immediately in the following lap, he was disable from further fighting by a defect of supercharging blower. Spectators could see the only change in the standings only in the last, fourteenth lap, where Östreich made a little mistake, and Drückenmüller forged to the second place behind winning Albacete. David finished the race 4th and this placement was enough to defend his third in the cup.
In the category of Race Trucks, third time in this season Gerd Körber presented his Freightliner. On Saturday, he won the timed practice, and in the following qualification race came second. In the cup race, he ran first the whole third of the race, but than he had to back off due to Freightliner's overheated engine. On Sunday, he showed off especially in the main race, where he succeeded to forge through the peletonu from his 9th on the grid to second. But on lap last but one, he crashed heavily, when a steering cross-link of his vehicle broke, and he banged his uncontrollable vehicle into the barrier built of tires.
