Yin and Yang: Austrian Alina Loibnegger experiences two different races in Zolder
Alina Loibnegger knows light and shadow in the EuroNASCAR 2 championship better than anyone else – As in Most, the Austrian experienced the full spectrum weekend in Zolder
Finally celebrating a race weekend with two strong races: That is probably one of Alina Loibnegger’s biggest dreams in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (NWES). The Austrian knows the two sides of the coin better than almost any other driver in the EuroNASCAR 2 championship, having experienced a weekend of light and shade at Circuit Zolder, as she did in Most. The finale at Grobnik should finally see a trouble-free event with Racingfuel Motorsport steadily improving.
A look back at Saturday’s race at the Autodrom Most shows what Loibnegger and Racingfuel Motorsport from Switzerland are capable of achieving together: With tenth place, the 27-year-old scored the first top-10 result in her NWES career. On the following day, however, technical problems forced her to slow down. It was to be the same in Zolder: The tenth place on Saturday was her second top-10 result, followed by a fiasco due thanks to bad luck on Sunday.
Before the EuroNASCAR finale at the Automotodrom Grobnik on October 29 and 30, the Austrian is tied on points with record Lady Trophy winner Arianna Casoli in fourth place in the special classification. However, as second-placed Aliyyah Koloc has withdrawn her entry, fans can expect a three-way battle for the trophy: Luli Del Castello leads the Lady Trophy with 37 points to Loibnegger and Casoli. Since double points are on the line, everything is still possible for the Racingfuel driver.
“Saturday still actually went quite well,” Loibnegger tells ‘Leadlap.net’. “It was a chaotic race with many unnecessary accidents, but we still managed to finish in tenth place. That was enough for second place in the Lady Trophy. On Sunday we actually wanted to build on that, but the jets of the carburetor were clogged. That’s why I had to come into the pits in the second race. Then, unfortunately, the result couldn’t be fixed, because when you pit in an NWES sprint race, it’s basically over.”
Loibnegger is nevertheless constantly learning in her new team and manages to prove her talent time and time again. Especially in chaotic races, she is there to pick up important points thanks to her safe driving style. For the finale in Grobnik, the Austrian is hoping for a trouble-free weekend and a chance to get involved in the title fight for the Lady Trophy. In Croatia, she will once again be driving the Racingfuel Chevrolet with starting number 94.
