Christian Merli wins in Germany
Christian Merli, racing his Nova Proto NP 01 Cosworth for Scuderia Pintarally Motorsport has won the fifth round of the European hill climb championship, the 27th Int. Glasbachrennen at Bad Liebenstein in Thuringia in central Germany northeast of Frankfurt. The event comprised three practice runs and two race runs on the 5.300 km track. The win was decided on accumulated times.
Merli’s fourth overall win of the season
“It was tough, because we are all very close. I pushed as hard as I could in the second run and the car was sliding around. The Spaniard was ahead at the first split, but I managed to overtake him in the final stretch. I struggled to get the tyres up to temperature. It was an incredible, fiercely contested race, and I’d like to congratulate my opponents.”
Practice
In the first practice run, Iraola Lanzagorta takes the lead in the Nova Proto Turbo, 1”687 ahead of Germany’s Alexander Hin and 3”138 ahead of Merli. In the second run, Christian finishes fastest, followed by the Czech driver Petr Tnka in the Nova Proto NP 01 Turbo, 2”316 behind, and Kevin Petit, in another Nova Proto NP 01 Turbo, 2”850 behind. In the third run, the reigning European champion once again sets the fastest time, improving by 10” compared to his first run. Second place goes to the Spanish driver, who is 2”469 behind, and third place to the Frenchman, 4”717 behind.
The race
In the first race run, under overcast skies, Iraola Lanzagorta finishes a mere 0”086 faster than Merli, with Kevin Petit third, 0”826 behind. In the second run in the afternoon, Merli sets the fastest time, 0”290 ahead of the Spaniard and 0”964 ahead of the Frenchman. On accumulated times, the Scuderia Pintarally Motorsport driver secures his fourth win of the season.
The podium on accumulated times
1st Merli (Nova Proto NP 01 Cosworth), 2nd Iraola Lanzagorta (Nova Proto NP 01 Turbo) 0”204 behind, 3rd Kevin Petit (Nova Proto NP 01 Turbo) 1”704 behind.
The FIA European Hill Climb Championship programme
26 April: Rechbergrennen (Austria), 10 May: Subida al Fito (Spain), 17 May: Rampa da Falperra (Portugal), 7 June: Ecce Homo (Czech Republic),
14 June: Glasbachrennen (Germany)
, 28 June: Coppa Paolino Teodori (Italy), 19 July: Limanowa (Poland), 16 August: Saint-Ursanne (Switzerland), 30 August: Ilirska Bistrica (Slovenia), 20 September: Buzetski dani (Croatia).
Translation by Ruth Scheithauer