A fight down to the thousandths of a second – that’s how the penultimate Clio Cup round at Automotodrom Brno could best be described, as the title duel between Tomáš Pekař and Bartłomiej Mirecki continued. But after the opening race, things became far more complicated for Mirecki.
In qualifying, Mirecki and Pekař simply left the rest behind. Third-placed Julian Smiechowski was more than six tenths adrift. And the head-to-head between Mirecki and Pekař? As close as it gets – Mirecki edged it by just 0.010 seconds.
The Polish driver made the most of pole in race one, holding the lead through the critical opening corner and defending it all the way to the flag. But the pressure never let up, with Smiechowski and Pekař right on his tail. Pekař slipped to third off the line and spent the race chasing Smiechowski but couldn’t find a way past. To make matters worse, he picked up a four-second track limits penalty, which dropped him to fourth behind Nikodem Sobczyk. Then came the shock – Mirecki vanished from the results altogether after his car failed post-race scrutineering, leaving him disqualified. Victory went to Smiechowski ahead of Sobczyk, with Pekař promoted back into the top three.
Race two saw Mirecki start from the very back, but he delivered a thrilling charge through the field to finish second, right on Pekař’s bumper. At the line, the gap between them was just 0.370 seconds, while Alexander Spetz completed the podium in third.
Heading into the final round at Balaton Park, Pekař holds a 28-point lead over Mirecki. The title is not sealed yet – with 25 points awarded for a win and two sprints making up the weekend, the mathematics still work in Mirecki’s chances. Meanwhile, Smiechowski, 16 points behind Mirecki, still has a shot at snatching second in the standings.
As Brno once again prove, just like the rounds before it, the Clio Cup delivers drama from lights to flag. And with the finale still to come, there’s everything left to play for.
RACE RESULTS
Qualifying
Race 1
Race 2
Drivers Standings
Juniors and Gentleman Standings
Teams standings
COMMENTS