David Dziwok, a driver for Carpek Racing, dominated the second race weekend of this year’s Clio Cup season. The young Polish driver won both sprints, catapulting himself to second place in the overall standings, right behind his teammate Tomáš Pekař. This outcome was unexpected, as other drivers were anticipated to lead the pace.
In the opening event of the season at Balaton Park, it was Tomáš Pekař and Bartek Mirecki from BM Racing who led the way. These two experienced drivers shared the top spots in Hungary, engaging in thrilling battles that suggested the fight for this year’s title would be between them.
However, once the Clio Cup moved to the Red Bull Ring, everything changed. Pekař and Mirecki remained top contenders, but this time, the young David Dziwok stole the spotlight. He secured pole position ahead of Pekař and Mirecki, and that was just the beginning. Dziwok carried his speed into both sprints. In the first race, he had to fight hard for his position. He led the first four laps, then Pekař took the lead, but Dziwok regained it in the final two laps, achieving his first victory of the season.
The hilly Red Bull Ring with its long straights always promises exciting racing, and the Clio Cup was no exception. The competition was fierce, with Dziwok, Pekař, Mirecki, Ivan Pulić, Nik Štefančič, and Julian Śmiechowski all close together in the top six positions. Any mistake could mean losing a spot, especially since the safety car was deployed twice, preventing any driver from building a significant lead.
While the first race was dramatic and full of close battles, the second was a more straightforward affair. There was no need for the safety car, and the race ran smoothly from start to finish. Ivan Pulić, starting from pole position, led the first three laps before Dziwok took over and never looked back. He built a comfortable four-second lead over Pekař and celebrated his second win. Pekař had a relatively uneventful race after the opening laps, with Dziwok far ahead and Mirecki far behind. Mirecki, on the other hand, had to keep an eye on his mirrors, with Nik Štefančič, Ivan Pulić, and Julian Śmiechowski close behind, but he managed to hold on to third place.
All twenty-five cars finished the second race. The sight of a full grid at the beloved Red Bull Ring track was impressive. The racing was competitive across the entire field. Even Reto Wuest, the 2011 Clio Cup Bohemia champion, participated. The older fourth-generation cars also made an appearance, with Martin Kadlečík dominating both races, each time finishing ahead of René Leutenegger and Valter Nežič.
RACE RESULTS:
Clio Cup – Qualifying
Clio Cup – Race 1
Clio Cup – Race 2
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