PENULTIMATE POLE GOES TO KISS
Norbert Kiss has almost taken every pole position available in 2023, placing his #1 MAN truck on the front row for the first race of the Jarama weekend.
José Eduardo Rodrigues stole the show in qualifying, taking third only 0.2 seconds behind Jochen Hahn and 0.02s ahead of Antonio Albacete. He showed incredible pace to, once again, challenge the Titan drivers for the front rows on the grid.
When it came to Super Pole, however, Rodrigues was shuffled down the order as the Titans got in the groove of the Spanish circuit. Albacete tried to make the home crowds cheer, getting to second in the standings, but there was nothing he could do to close down the 1.4 second advantage that Kiss had for pole.
Jamie Anderson had a great Super Pole, taking third on the grid as Hahn narrowly missed out, taking fourth 0.006 seconds behind the Brit.
Sascha Lenz took an impressive fifth on Race One’s start grid after having to completely rebuild the front of his truck. A big incident in second practice saw the #OneTruckFamily in full force as they rushed to help Lenz repair the #3 MAN. A lot of hard work got the German back out on track, so to make it into Super Pole was a great effort from Lenz, who is still fighting with Albacete for third in the championship.
Steffi Halm will start sixth, ahead of Rodrigues who also takes Promoter’s Cup pole. José Rodrigues Snr, André Kursim and Le Mans Race Four overall winner Luis Recuenco completed the top ten and Super Pole qualifiers.
Clemens Hecker missed out on a Super Pole appearance by three tenths of a second and will line up 11th beside Steffen Faas in 12th. For Faas to take the Promoter’s Cup title fight into Race Two, he needs to win the class with Rodrigues third or lower. If Faas is first and Rodrigues seconds, Rodrigues still takes the title after Race One as, on countbacks, he would still win the Chrome class.
John Newell will line up beside his Promoter’s Cup rival Mark Taylor, 13th and 14th respectively, so long as Taylor makes it to the grid.
A spring snapped on the front left of Taylor’s truck, disabling his steering and seeing the #81 career into the barriers. Taylor was OK, but that was the end of his qualifying.
Newell currently has the advantage in the Promoter’s Cup with an eight-point lead over his fellow Brit. Fingers are tightly crossed for Taylor to make it to the Race One grid so we get the battle in Promoter’s going right up to the wire in Race Four.
Jonathan André completes the grid, and will line up 15th for Race One.
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