Michal still leads the Octavia Cup, Adam bruised his wrist |
- 11. 6. 2006, Most -The INTERNET EXPRES Prima Team's drivers were very successful in the contests at the Autodrom Most racing circuit last weekend. Within the framework of the Česká pojišťovna - Škoda Octavia Cup, Michal Matějovský, Adam Lacko, and Filip Albrecht took 61 points altogether, and Michal is in the lead of the overall standings of drivers while the team leads the teams' standings. Definitely, the weekend event at the Autodrom Most circuit was a very difficult one. The three yellow-painted cars attracted attention as early as in the qualifying sessions: Adam set the fourth fastest time, Michal came eighth. At that time, Filip was still struggling with the chassis set-up for the Autodrom Most track, and came eighteenth. In the official timed practice session, Michal and Adam were fifth and tenth respectively. Before the Superpole start, Adam Lacko complained: 'I feel a bit off colour, I am not coping well.' Filip improved his lap time by a second again, coming sixteenth. In the Superpole session, each of the first ten drivers is allowed to run just one lap. To be successful in this system, the driver must have strong nerves. Michal and Adam proved that they can maximally concentrate on the decisive moment absolutely without any troubles: Michal claimed the second position on the starting grid, and Adam clocked the fifth best time! Then came the start of Sunday's morning race, which was extremely unlucky for Adam. Right after the start, the same as almost in every race, there was a pile-up collision in the first bend, and Lacko was the driver who suffered most. After several unscrupulous impacts inflicted by his rivals, his car remained standing in the escape area, with the front wheel suspension seriously damaged and, which was worse, Adam's arm had been badly bruised. Consequently, he had to retire from the race. Fortunately, Michal got away before all that happened. He fought in a fantastic way at the front of the field, running second, behind Janák. And, Filip Albrecht gradually struggled his way through the field, competing with his rivals in a fair way. He won many duels, steadily moving up, to the twelfth and even tenth position. Michal finished in third after being overtaken by Navrátil in a rather unfair way just before the finish. However, the committee of officials gave Navrátil a 25 second penalty, putting Michal back to second. In the mean time, Filip moved up a gear again to finish in seventh overall, his best placing up to that moment, giving him his first nine points! The mechanics managed to put Adam's car right for the start of the afternoon race, but Adam really suffered severe pains in his arm; he had to struggle to get into the car. Michal and Filip started fifth and seventh respectively while Adam began the race from the very end of the grid. Shortly after the start, Michal moved up to third, and was running at this position for a rather long period of time. Filip fell slightly behind, and Adam gradually fought his way through the field from the very end. At the front, Michal passed Dostál, but was overtaken by Janiš and Janák. Michal, running third, did not become nervous. Then, Filip Albrecht had the misfortune, without his fault, to collide with the Finnish driver Paasonen. Being aware of the fact that he had caused the collision, Paasonen retired from the race, but this did not put Filip back to his previous position. Consequently, he came sixteenth. At the front of the field, a great upset occurred on the last lap: Janák and Dostál, who were running ahead of Michal, eliminated each other from the race, and Michal was overtaken by Navrátil in the meantime; so Michal was third at the chequered flag, taking the podium for the second time on that day. And, we must not forget about the third driver. By en effort of will, Adam Lacko managed to claim an unbelievable sixth place. But he had to pay for this with severe pains in his arm, in particular towards the end of the race; he could hardly see the track because of the tears in his eyes. Behind the finish line, Adam nearly could not get out of his car. Fortunately, the subsequent medical examination and X-ray photograph made in the hospital in the town of Most did not reveal any fracture. However, the well-known fact is that a bruise is often more painful than, for example, a fracture. And, Adam, who will have to give his arm rest for two weeks, could certainly add his comment on this. Let's conclude by mentioning several figures: Michal, with 111 points, is in the lead of the Česká pojišťovna - Škoda Octavia Cup. Adam is fifth in the overall standings, with 61 points, while Filip is seventeenth, with nine points. And, with 211 points gained, the INTERNET EXPRES Prima Team is in the lead of the teams' standings. |
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