Chrome star Faas to the fore in Goodyear FIA ETRC
Steffen Faas shone in the Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship with a Chrome victory double for tankpool24-Racing at Circuit Zolder.
After a standout performance in the rain-hit second qualifying on Sunday, German driver Faas finished sixth overall in Race 3 and again in Race 4 as he celebrated twin Chrome category success.
“I’m happy to be first in my category twice, it’s perfect,” Faas said. “The victory is very important for my complete team and everybody who helps me in truck racing. This is a present to them. We fix the truck now, go to the IAA Transportation [event in Hannover] then go directly to Le Mans.”
Following his first Chrome win of the season at Autodrom Most last month, John Newell finished first in Saturday’s two races. Championship rival Mark Taylor followed him home in Race 1 ahead of Jonathan André. Newell then topped an all-British podium in Race 2 with Taylor second and Luke Garrett third.
After a rare error dropped him out of the Chrome podium fight in Race 3 – he finished fourth behind André – Newell bounced back to place third in Race 4 behind Faas and Taylor. Taylor and André had earlier completed the Race 3 Chrome podium behind Faas.
Garrett, Luis Recuenco and Stefan Kursch were the other Chrome finishers in Race 1 with Clemens Hecker and Faas failing to go the distance due to mechanical issues. Kursch was fourth in Chrome in Race 2 ahead of Recuenco and Faas with André forced to retire with a broken gearbox and Hecker not starting.
Behind fourth-placed Newell, Kursch, Recuenco and Garrett were the other Chrome finishers in Race 3. André, Garrett, Kursch and Recuenco were fourth to seventh respectively in Race 4. Hecker was prevented from taking part in both Sunday races due to mechanical issues.
In the Chrome title chase, defending champion Mark Taylor heads to the penultimate event of the season at Le Mans next week (25-27 September) three points ahead of Newell. Having won twice at Circuit Zolder, Faas moves up from fifth to third in the provisional ranking.
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