The opening race of the Clio Cup Bohemia season finale at Balaton Park was won by Bartłomiej Mirecki, who took the lead on the first lap and never looked back, securing his sixth win of the season.
Pole-sitter Tomáš Pekař lined up alongside Mirecki, with Julian Smiechowski and Alxander Spetz on the second row and Nikodem Sobczyk with Nico Wuest on the third.
Pekař made a good start and held the lead into Turn 1, but Mirecki dived down the inside in the opening sequence of corners to snatch first place. Before the end of the lap, Pekař also lost second to Smiechowski.
Pekař pressured Smiechowski, but instead of forcing attack early, he waited for the right moment, aware that Mirecki was pulling away at the front. Before long, the leading trio closed up again and the battle reignited. Smiechowski launched an attack on Mirecki, but that gave Pekař the chance to reclaim second place. From there, Pekař pushed hard to challenge for the lead, but with five minutes remaining Smiechowski capitalized on the fight and slipped back into second.
The duel between Smiechowski and Pekař raged on until the final lap, with the Polish driver ultimately holding onto second ahead of Pekař.
The race finished with Mirecki on top, Smiechowski second and Pekař third. Nico Wuest claimed fourth ahead of Filip Dziwok and Nikodem Sobczyk. Oskar Marszałkowski crossed the line comfortably in front of Filip Bartoš, while ninth went to Xawery Ossoliński-Nieródka, with the top ten rounded out by Reto Wuest.
Mirecki’s win cut Pekař’s championship lead to 20 points, meaning he must win Sunday’s race to keep his title hopes alive. Pekař, meanwhile, only needs to finish seventh or higher to secure another championship crown. If Mirecki also claims the fastest lap point, Pekař’s target will move up to sixth place.
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