QUEEN OF THE RING
Steffi Halm delivered a commanding performance to secure her tenth career victory
Halm's last lap move in Race 1 to claim reverse pole could have been the difference between victory and a podium in Race 2. She had a great start off the line, keeping Chrome-class winner José Eduardo Rodrigues behind as they swooped into the first corner. The pack bunched up, almost seeing Lukas Hahn make a daring move around the outside of Turn 1, but the top five remained the same as racing began.
Norbert Kiss gained three positions on the first lap but encountered the Hahn duo again, complicating his efforts to climb through the field. Halm managed her lead well, keeping Rodrigues close enough to serve as a buffer against the attacking grid but far enough away so she didn't have to drive defensively to maintain her lead.
While battling for third place on the track, Kiss and Lukas Hahn had a minor collision. Both trucks continued, but Hahn went wide and off the track, allowing the reigning champion to pass. Jochen Hahn quickly took advantage of Kiss's slight slip, overtaking him for third place.
The duo then set their sights on Halm and Rodrigues ahead, both aiming for a podium finish. Jochen Hahn lined up the young Portuguese driver perfectly to take the inside line through the chicane, advancing to second. Kiss was right behind him, using a better exit to carry his momentum around the outside, demoting Rodrigues two places in two corners.
Halm had hoped Rodrigues would defend for a bit longer, but with two laps remaining, she faced Jochen Hahn and Kiss looming in her rearview mirror. She handled the pressure spectacularly, with the 1.5-second gap shrinking to just one second by the time the checkered flag fell, confirming her as the race winner. Jochen Hahn and Kiss completed the overall podium.
Rodrigues took a comfortable overall fourth and the Chrome class win, as the chasing pack could do nothing to reel in the leading four. André Kursim, Sascha Lenz and Antonio Albacete separated Rodrigues from Chrome and Young Driver rival Lukas Hahn, who crossed the line seventh overall, second in class.
Lenz had a great start, moving from sixth on the grid to battling for fourth in the first corner. However, some close contact and off-track moments caused him to drop out of contention. Despite this, he did well to recover ground against his fellow Titans.
Steffen Faas led the rest of the field over the line, finishing third in class, ninth overall, where he started the race. Mark Taylor added good points to his third place battle in Chrome with a class fourth, now trailing Faas by just 20 points for second in class as we reach the halfway point of the championship.
Bradley Smith had another performance to remember, taking class fifth ahead of fellow brit John Newell and Lion Truck Racing driver Jonathan André. Luke Garrett found some pace to challenge Luis Recuenco, coming home 14th overall, class eighth at the end of the 12 racing laps.
Clemens Hecker found himself stuck at the back, half a minute off the rest of the field, after he was shown the black and orange flag for black smoke coming from his truck. All 16 trucks were classified again in Race 2.
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