Race 1 – Fulin wins after pile-up

28.04.13
Petr Fulín and his Super 2000 BMW 320si won the first of today’s two FIA European Touring Car Cup races at the Slovakia Ring, ahead of the similar car of Mat’o Homola.

Third, and the winner of the Single-Make Trophy category was the SEAT León Supercopa of Andreas Pfister, while the winner of Super 1600 was Kevin Krammes in a Ford Fiesta.

A total of four laps were completed behind the Safety Car after an incident on the opening lap saw no fewer than six cars in the gravel at Turn 1. Once the Safety Car was withdrawn, Fulín drove an untroubled race to take a lights-to-flag victory. Behind the Krenek Motorsport car, there were battles for second place between Pfister and Homola and for ninth between Diego Romanini, Mario Dablander and Igor Skuz, with Skuz eventually claiming ninth place. Despite starting from the back of the grid,

Fulín’s teammate Michal Matĕjovský carved his way through the field to finish fourth.

Petr Fulín – winner S2000 : “I am very satisfied and happy with the weekend. When I saw how many drivers were in the gravel at the start of Race 1, I said to myself that I had to be cautious after the re-start! I am pleased with my performance as we had a lot of sponsors and guests here this weekend and I think everyone was very satisfied.

I saw that I was faster than Mat’o in Race 2, but it was difficult for me because Mat’o was using the sequential gearbox and I was carrying 40kg of ballast. But this weekend I scored very useful points and so I am very happy with that.”

 

Key moments

Lap 1 – Contact between a number of cars at Turn 1 saw Rikli, Comte, Borković, Ladygin, Ficza and Biter all stopped in the gravel. Safety car deployed, with Fulín leading from Pfister and Oriola. Matĕjovský up to 8th.

Lap 5 – Race resumed; contact between Hamilton and Maleev saw them stopped in the gravel at T6. Matĕjovský up to 7th.

Lap 6 – Homola passed Oriola for 3rd at T1. Matĕjovský passed Nagy and Karamyshev for 5th.

Lap 7 – Skuz passed Dablander for 10th, but Dablander then re-took the place. Dablander and Skuz then both passed Romanini for 9th and 10th.

Lap 8 – Skuz passed Dablander for 9th.

Lap 9 – Matĕjovský passed Oriola for 4th. Homola passed Pfister for 2nd.

Lap 11 – Fulín took the win with Homola holding off a determined Pfister for 2nd.