Weather Wins over Races
The second racing day at the Most circuit was substantially affected by unfavourable weather. Both Sunday races were finally cancelled, without the right to a score, after a couple of nonsensical decisions of the jury. Adam Lacko thus did not have a chance today to show off in front of the domestic audience, who were not even chased away by the heavy rain and stayed on the tribunes until the final verdict.
SUPERPOLE
Adam Lacko achieved the second best lap time in the opening time practice. “I am satisfied. We have received new components after the German racing weekend, which we installed immediately, and with a great effect. I only lost mere seven hundredths of a second after Hahn today. A good start will be most important in the race. I will do my best to please our domestic fans,“ said Lacko in a combat mood.
Oly Janes scored the sixteenth best lap time. “I am not happy about the time. I know I can do much, much better. Unfortunately, I overheated the brakes and that cost me valuable hundredths of a second. I will have to do better in the race.“
FIRST RACE
The third pilot of the interim ranking, Adam Lacko, started the opening race of the weekend from the first row. “Jochen was a tiny bit quicker after start and made use of his position in the first curve, where he was positioned on the inside and squeezed to the leading rank. I tried to get the maximum out of my truck. The second rank in the first race is wonderful anyway.“
Oly Janes crossed the finish line ranking eighth, but after additional five-second penalisation dropped to the thirteenth final rank. “This was a very interesting race. I finished with the eighth rank but then I had to visit the tower. Unfortunately, I was penalised and dropped from the eighth to the thirteenth rank. It is a great pity as I could have started from the first row in the handicap race, thus I will again have to advance from the rear,“ said Oly.
SECOND RACE
Adam Lacko started the handicap race from the fourth row, and from there he advanced up to the bronze rank. “I was very successful at the start and improved my rank by about three. Then Antonio and I made use of Gibbon´s hesitation and fought out podium ranks. I still tried to make my way to the silver but I had to watch for Hahn attacking me from the rear. This is another important contribution to the overall score, I have managed to reduce Antonio´s advantage to mere four points and increase my own advantage over the pilots behind me. I must praise the audience for the incredibly splendid atmosphere here. I look forward to tomorrow,“ this is how Adam Lacko raised his hat for the spectators visiting the circuit.
Oly Janes had to start the second race of the day from the sixth row. He eventually ranked twelfth. “Pity, I could have fought for a much better rank, but never mind. The most important thing is that I have collected some important points for the Grammer Cup scoring again and increased my advantage a little. I will see tomorrow, maybe I will be more successful.“
The Finnish pilot Mika Mäkinen, driving the third BUGGYRA truck, ranked eleventh and fourteenth on Saturday. “I can see that the championship has advanced ford incredibly in the course of the six years I was out of it. Buggyra is at home here and so it enjoys great support of the domestic fans, who pushed me forward too. Unfortunately, I did not manage to score today but I do not throw in the towel yet. Tomorrow the racing will continue and I will certainly try to get to the Top 10, today I only missed it by a little bit. “
SUNDAY
SUPER POLE
Adam Lacko was the second quickest in the second time practice of the weekend, still on the sunlit circuit. “I am not aware of any mistake today. I am satisfied with my performance. Jochen was flying again today, even exceeding David´s track record, held for a decade, by one hundredth of a second. The start will be the most important moment of the race. I will see how I can cope,“ said Lacko, at that point still happy and ready.
Oly Janes scored the thirteenth best lap time. ”I improved by nearly a second today, but, unfortunately, the others accelerated as well, so this was no significant move forward. But to start from the sixth row is much better than to begin from the eighth row. The race can bring anything, yesterday proved that. I will struggle,“ stated Oly after the time practice.
THIRD RACE
One hour before the start of the third cup race in Most a light shower wetted the road but most of the moist dried out before the start. Despite that the jury, not very fortunately, decided for a “wet race”, with the first lap in the following of the Pace Truck and the second under the yellow flags. “We did not understand the decision of the management of the race but we had to obey it,“ commented Adam on the situation. However, after three laps a heavy downpour interrupted the race. “What to say, this is racing. Even though I can understand the first interruption, I cannot follow what happened after that. Why not to cover two laps under yellow flags and then continue in the race? Unfortunately, the second restart was thwarted by the rain again and then we only waited for the next decision. Eventually at 6 pm the jury published their decision about cancellation of both Sunday races,” mourned the currently third ranking pilot of the championship. “I regret it mainly because of the fans, who arrived in incredible numbers here today. Unfortunately, they could not see any complete race today. Although you cannot influence the weather, some decisions might be influenced,“ closed Lacko the day. The mere three covered laps were not enough for scoring. Thus the interim ranking of the championship remains the same after Saturday.
Even the British pilot Oly Janes was sad about the Sunday development. “Most is known for the excellent atmosphere the spectators create here during the races. I looked forward to every opportunity to perform in front of them. Unfortunately, the only chance today was the time practice and two live laps of a race. One cannot change the weather.“
The Finnish pilot Mika Mäkinen imagined his first racing weekend after the long break much differently. “Unfortunately, I cannot do anything about it. At least the Saturday came out well. I really enjoyed it a lot here. Now I will sit down with the team management and we will talk about the way our cooperation will continue. I do not know it myself, let us be surprised.“
“This is a great pity. FIA is much too cautious after the recent incidents. I certainly cannot agree with their decisions today. They harmed both sides, but the audience was hurt most, looking forward to thrilling races and finally leaving home annoyed for not seeing anything at all. I would like to thank them all for the wonderful support. In fact we do all we do mainly for them. But there are things we cannot influence. I believe we will all met here again in a year,“ said the team manager Jan Kalivoda about the Sunday happenings.
