-- “Mission accomplished. Adam and the whole team had to deal with a number of problems over the weekend, which makes this podium finish all the more valuable to us. The lads worked on the truck practically non-stop, and Adam fought for every metre on the track. We really wanted to make the Czech fans happy, and I’m glad we managed it in the end. Their support was fantastic all weekend,” said Jan Kalivoda, head of communications at Buggyra ZM Racing.
Lacko himself was finally able to joke after the last race. “I’m really pleased; I’m glad it all worked out. I kept the home crowd on tenterhooks a bit; I didn’t want to give it to them straight away on Saturday. It was a tactic,” he laughed. “Of course, we wanted to save it for the second race on Sunday so that everyone would hang in there and wait for that beautiful trophy. It may only be third place, but I’m very satisfied. I’m happy on home soil.”
The road to the podium was certainly not an easy one. For the 2017 FIA ETRC champion, Most was only his second start of the year in the European series following his return at the Nürburgring in July. It was after the German round that the team debated whether it made any sense to continue with the programme under the circumstances.
“When we were thinking about what to do next after the Nürburgring, we even considered just giving it all up. In the end, though, we said no – we have to fight and do something about it,” admitted Lacko. “In Most, we tried something different in every session and kept making changes. We were making progress bit by bit, but then something would set us back again.”
The truck kept presenting the Czech driver with one complication after another. The vehicle Buggyra raced in Most was not one of the latest-generation machines either, and the team had to deal with repeated technical issues throughout the weekend.
“We wanted to race with our Buggyra, but that didn’t work out in the end. So we went into the weekend with an older truck, and it certainly gave us a hard time. Something was always breaking; the lads were constantly repairing it and putting it back together. Meanwhile, I was trying to break it again on the track because I was fighting so hard,” Lacko said with a smile.
On Saturday, he finished the first race in seventh place. Thanks to the reverse-grid format, he started the second race from the front row and, after several fierce battles – while increasingly struggling with the truck’s handling – finished fifth.
Sunday was even more dramatic. During qualifying, Lacko’s engine cut out on a flying lap, leaving the Czech driver to start the first race from eleventh on the grid. To make matters worse, a shock absorber failed during the formation lap before the start.
“Qualifying didn’t go well at all because the truck cut out during my flying lap. It started up again, but I couldn’t set another good time. Starting from eleventh, I didn’t really believe I could even make it into the top eight. In the end, I finished seventh, but I’ve no idea how,” said Lacko.
That seventh place, however, secured him a front-row start for the final race of the weekend. And that was where the long-awaited reward finally came.
After the start, Lacko battled with Steffi Halm for the lead through the opening corners before settling into second place for much of the race. Sascha Lenz was right behind him, forcing the Czech driver to defend his position fiercely on several occasions. Norbert Kiss, the dominant force in the European championship, gradually closed in on the battle and eventually found a way past Lacko. The Czech driver held on to third place and was greeted by a huge ovation from the grandstands as he crossed the line.
“It wasn’t easy; I had to fight right up to the final metres. Sascha was no pushover; he tried to force his way past several times. There was some contact, but I defended tooth and nail and fought to hold on to my position,” said Lacko.
“I thought I was going to finish second, but when I saw Kiss behind me, I told myself there was no point in battling it out with him. I decided to focus on making sure I at least held on to third instead. And I did, so that’s great.”
The result was also a reward for the mechanics, who had been grappling with technical issues practically from start to finish. Even before the final race, the team was dealing with electronics problems and the engine cutting out.
“There was an awful lot going on, but the whole team and I managed to fight through it. Our reward was a brilliant third place,” emphasised Lacko.
The packed grandstands in Most were another huge source of motivation for him. “When you drive past the spectators, you can hear them cheering and honking their horns. It always spurs me on. Of course, I’m also here for myself because I want to enjoy racing, and I’m here for the sponsors too. But above all, we’re here for the fans. They’re one of the main reasons we decided to do this in the first place.”
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