One man down in timed practice

The only driver in real trouble so far is Norwegian TouringCar runner David Nordgård who has yet to complete a lap of the Autodrom Česká Lípa and whose team is busy working as fast as they can to get his Focus running again in time for the first qualifying heat. Nordgård’s problem was caused when the output shaft from the engine to the gearbox failed. This caused a chain reaction that destroyed the clutch and starter motor as well as other ancillaries. “The question is whether the engine is okay. We have to repair a lot of other things before we can start the engine and see if it’s okay, it’s possible the crankshaft could have been damaged too,” explained Nordgård’s father, Per-Egil. The team has all hands working on the car, including Dutch engine builder Bert Zomer whose visit here during a holiday break has involved him lying under a broken racecar for the last couple of hours!

Elsewhere all starters in the Super1600 category have completed the session without problem – although some drivers in the class, which was first to run, complained that the track was still very dusty. The Supercar category has also been completed without problems and fastest times have been established by Ulrik Linnemann (S1600), Lars Øivind Enerberg (TouringCar) and Sverre Isachsen.

Results

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