Also in Zolder, Belgium, three Buggyra vehicles appeared at the start of the European Truck Racing Cup, because for this eights event team's managers engaged Jean-Pierra Blaise, a domestic driver, who is normally specialized in rally races.
This time, 32 drivers got together at the start, which competed again in two groups of timed practices. Downright in the first group David showed off, because he reached the best time a defeated the leading man of the championship - Spaniard Albacete - by 0.26 second. For a change, Gerd won the B Group and when all drivers were ranked all together, he was number three. In practice it meant, that at the start of "odd" drivers' qualification race he stood beside David in the first row on the starting grid. Gerd started better than David, and kept his one-second lead before David for nine laps. However, both drivers were quite ahead of the others, and lap-by-lap they increased this lead by almost two seconds. Vojtíšek came third losing fifteen seconds, but others lagged behind him much more. Thereafter, the finish line was crossed lone trucks, for example the sixth Frenchman Fournier gathered a loss of more than one minute. David reached the fastest lap - even though he had problems with his gearbox, because gears disengaged spontaneously now and then. Albacete, last year's driver of Buggyra, won the second qualification race with consummate skill; Jean-Pierre conquered the seventh place.
David went in for the cup race apprehensively, because his gearbox bothered him still. Unfortunately, mechanics and technicians had no chance to repair it in such short time between two races. Nevertheless, from the start he kept the third place behind Gerd and Albacete; they crossed in the last twelfth lap the finish line in the same standing with negligible lags. The remaining field again arrived with greater distances between them. Also Jean-Pierre fought to a finish, because he was only thirteen in the first lap, and finally he obtained one point for his tenth place. However, the most important thing was the fact that, David's hardest rival, came sixth only, and so during Saturday David reduced Allgäuer's lead at the second place by seven points. Even Gerd bettered himself, who returned to the fourth place after 8 events, and moreover, his lead over his fellow-countryman Hahn had grown to 24 points. In addition, for the first time in this year, Gerd and David were together on the podium surrounded by impressed photographers and TV staff.
David won also the Sunday's Timed Practice of the first group ahead of Albacete and Hahn; Jean-Pierre came fourth. In the second group Gerd triumphed again, because he reached the absolutely best time, and so he reserved his pole-position in the first qualification race. This heat was participated also by Albacete, Hahn, Allgäuer and Seiler. The second group was participated, along with the first David, by Bösiger, Puliè, Vojtíšek, and Jean-Pierre, to mention some of the best drivers. Our both drivers proved their great form and won their respective qualification races. Gerd won ahead of Albacete, Allgäuer and Hahn, and he could afford to slow down in last laps. At the beginning, David had to survive the raids of Puliè, a Croatian driver, who was substituted midway the race by even hastier Bösiger. But even Bösiger found no recipe how to beat David. Jean-Pierre moved forward compared to Saturday's results by one place and he got valuable points for his sixth place. In the first row on the starting grid of the cup race, in the same way as in Nürburgring, two blue Buggyras stood side by side. Gerd had the better position, and even before the first bend, he made good use of his advantage and took the lead. David tried to get to the second place keeping the outer orbit in the bend, but at the same time Albacete attacked him hardly. Therefore, he preferred to avoid any collision, slackened up, and fell as far as to the fifth position. However, soon he overtook the fourth Allgäuer, who was then overrun by Puliè as well. Thereafter, David wheeled round for a certainty to reach important points, which again meant a substantial reduction in the lead of the interim second Austrian. Gerd was the king of the weekend; he won the maximum number of points being available. If his form would continue, he can even be out for the Allgäuer's scalp...
After eight completed events, David approached Allgäuer and is twenty points behind him, Gerd is behind David on the fourth place losing 26 points.
