Pekař and Kadlečík win first race of Clio Cup at Slovakia Ring

Pekař and Kadlečík win first race of Clio Cup at Slovakia Ring

The first of two races in the Clio Cup at Slovakia Ring brought no surprises. Martin Kadlečík crossed the finish line in first place and became the winner of the Clio IV category. Behind him was Tomáš Pekař, the winner of the Clio V category.

Martin Kadlečík and local driver Adam Konopka took the first row on the starting grid, with Konopka achieving his best result yet. Unfortunately, Konopka’s engine stalled as the red lights went out, and by the time he restarted, the entire field had passed him. Konopka’s chase ended with his withdrawal from the race after just two laps.

Meanwhile, a trio led by Kadlečík, Michael Hulm (Clio IV), and Tomáš Pekař formed at the front. Pekař, with his less powerful car, was looking for a way to overtake Hulm. After several attempts, he succeeded, although this did not affect the order in the Clio V category.

Kadlečík safely controlled the lead for the remainder of the race and claimed his fifth victory in five starts. Tomáš Pekař also achieved another win, his fourth of the season. In the Clio V category, Nik Štefančič finished second behind Pekař, followed closely by Szabolcs Lantos and Miha Primožič. This trio battled throughout the race and finished within a 1.2-second difference. Henrik Steibel finished fifth, followed by Ondrej Fekete in sixth and Petar Miloradović in seventh.

In the Clio IV category, Hulme, Richard Meixner, and Jiří Zbožínek were classified behind Kadlečík.