GRAND SLAM IN SLOVAKIA EXTENDS RODRIGUES' CHROME LEAD
The Chrome drivers entered the Slovakia Ring weekend with the championship in close contention. Reigning class champion José Eduardo Rodrigues however delivered a dominant performance, significantly extending his lead by the end of the second event of the season
Rodrigues couldn't have asked for a better weekend, securing all class poles and victories. Despite Steffen Faas and Mark Taylor's efforts to challenge him with reverse grid poles in Race 2 and Race 4, they couldn't prevent Rodrigues from emulating Norbert Kiss’ feat of taking a grand slam in the Chrome class. With Faas facing a difficult Sunday, Rodrigues leaves Slovakia Ring with a 22-point lead over his closest rival.
Faas’ weekend started well with two podiums, but Sunday was plagued by engine issues. What began as a cylinder misfire escalated into a full electrical failure, causing him to miss qualifying and finish at the back of the Chrome grid in Race 3. He couldn't finish Race 4 due to a complete system shutdown. The team hopes for a better outcome in two weeks at Zolder to close the gap on Rodrigues.
John Newell had a strong weekend, though he remains behind fellow Brit Mark Taylor in the Chrome standings. Despite a turbocharger failure in Qualifying 2 that placed him at the back of the grid, Newell secured three podiums out of four races. He trails Taylor by six points.
Mark Taylor was on track for his first win of the season in Race 4, until an incident with Steffi Halm and Rodrigues left him with a flat tire two laps before the finish. He managed to hold onto third place, narrowly beaten by Newell at the line by just 0.2 seconds. Despite a quiet Saturday, a stronger Sunday performance keeps him ahead of Newell in the standings, still in contention for the class lead.
Luis Recuenco had a consistent weekend, scoring points despite a few on-track incidents. He sits comfortably in fifth place in the Chrome championship, adding another 30 points to his campaign.
Luke Garrett experienced another rollercoaster weekend at Slovakia Ring, with an electric failure taking him out of Race 1 and steering issues (including another steering pump failure) hindering his performance in Race 2 and Race 3. The Goodyear FIA ETRC rookie showed improved pace, challenging Recuenco on track but couldn’t finish to secure any well-deserved points. Race 4 provided a breakthrough for Garrett, achieving a series-best P4 in class and displaying great race craft to salvage the Slovakia event.
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