Just five hours from the first practice to the race start—that’s the tight schedule promised for the fourth round of the Central European Championship at the Lausitzring for the endurance race. Jakub Knoll and Josef Záruba, representing Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra, will battle not only the clock but also their rivals. Unusually, the race takes place on Friday, while Libor Dvořáček will take the start in the sprint races on Saturday.
„We continue to pursue the goal we set ourselves—to bring Jakub Knoll and Pepa Záruba to the endurance title,” outlines team manager Jiří Mičánek Jr. ahead of the race weekend. The team aims to build on strong performances in the first two rounds at the new Balaton Park circuit and the Red Bull Ring. The team skipped the third round of the series due to a scheduling clash with the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe races, but as long as everything else remains perfect, this does not jeopardize their title plan, since the worst result is discarded by the organizers.
Jakub Knoll and Josef Záruba will once again take to the grid. “I have a neutral feeling about the Lausitzring. It’s neither my favourite nor my least favourite track,” says Knoll ahead of the race weekend. He last competed on the East German circuit nine years ago. “The track layout hasn’t changed, so it shouldn’t hold any surprises. I don’t mind that all the running will be done on Friday—it will be intense. The only real risk would be a car problem, as we wouldn’t have time to fix it,” adds Knoll.
Paradoxically, the more experienced driver in the Central European series and reigning champion, Josef Záruba, will be the less familiar with the track in Germany. “That’s right—I’ve never driven at the Lausitzring, only tested on a simulator. I can’t remember the last time I raced on an unfamiliar circuit before this season. And this year, it’s already the second time,” the driver refers to his spring debut at Balaton Park. “The track is technical—apart from two straights, there’s no real opportunity to relax,” he comments on his first impressions.
He also believes that, together with Jakub Knoll, they can build on the two victories they already have under their belt. “We work perfectly together, like a symbiosis between a sponge and a tree,” Záruba laughs.
On the other hand, Libor Dvořáček will want to put last weekend at the Red Bull Ring behind him, where he ended up in the gravel twice due to collisions beyond his control and had to fight his way back. He will face two sprint races again this time. “I’ve never raced at the Lausitzring, and I haven’t had the chance to test it on a simulator either, so so far I’ve only studied it through onboard footage. It’s going to be a challenge,” says the experienced driver, who stood on the podium alongside Jiří Mičánek in last weekend’s endurance race. The team manager does not rule out the possibility of a similar scenario at Lausitzring. “We’re keeping our options open, but if Friday runs as planned, we might give it a try,” said Jiří Mičánek.
