OPC Challenge: Victory due to Rolf Tremp
TENSION IN THE TITLE FIGHT Rolf Tremp made the most of his opportunity and took his first victory in the Opel OPC Challenge at the Drognens slalom. Now the duel with the still winless leader René Zogg is coming to a head at the double race in Ambri. Only nine drivers competed with their own or borrowed Opel Adam S on the Drognens armory [...]
Only nine drivers entered their own or borrowed Opel Adam S cars at the Drognens armory to score points in the 2018 OPC Challenge. However, this did nothing to dampen the excitement for victory, on the contrary.
Because, apart from Stephan Tschaggelar, none of the previous winning riders were at the start, Rolf Tremp and René Zogg saw their big chance. Both have been around for a long time, but have never appeared at the top of the rankings.
In practice, Tremp set the first fastest time and made it clear that he wanted to make up for lost time. In the second practice session and first race run, however, "Tschaggi" covered the 2910-meter course four tenths faster than the man from eastern Switzerland. Zogg, for his part, was already two seconds behind his title rival.
What lasts long finally becomes good
The 65-year-old driving instructor from Ebnat-Kappel showed nerves of steel, countered in his second attempt and went almost a second faster than before. Zogg also found another almost one and a half seconds, while Frauenfeld winner Tschaggelar was unable to improve on his second start of the season for Team Metropol Garage.
So Tremp, who drives for Auto Bollhalder from Wattwil, was able to celebrate the long-overdue victory.
Rolf Tremp: "I've been close a few times, but the final touch was missing. Often I was fast in practice and then couldn't convert it in the race because I ran over the car, like before on the Anneau du Rhin. I'm delighted."
Zogg or Tremp - who will be champion?
Tschaggelar's first time was enough for the Bernese to finish a clear second ahead of Zogg. The 40 championship points bring Tremp to within six points of the Aargauer in the Opel of Auto Germann from Hunzenschwil (250 to 244) before the final with two races in Ambri.
After an early deduction of a strike result (Zogg a fifth, Tremp a sixth place), they are even two points closer. So both have practically equal chances.
Best of the rest in Drognens was Pierre Cosandier. The man from Fribourg has never placed so well and left Jean-Philippe Jaquier, who is in third place in the standings, more than a second behind.
If Jaquier doesn't completely flop in Ticino, the Vaudois will remain third ahead of Andreas Riedl or Fabio Gubitosi. Both were not at the start in Drognens.
