Nikolay Karamyshev tops wet test session at the Slovakiaring

FIA European Touring Car Cup TC2T-class points leader Nikolay Karamsyshev was fastest of all on a wet but drying circuit at the Slovakiaring, going faster than Liqui Moly Team Engstler’s Franz Engstler in the final moments of the session by just over a tenth of the second, then improving his time on his second lap to being over half a second clear.

The Campos Racing driver was fastest despite carrying 41kg of success ballast this weekend. Engstler, in a turbocharged BMW 320 TC, ended up 0.647 behind with Igor Skuz third in the second of Campos Racing’s Chevrolet Cruze 1.6Ts, just over a second slower than his team-mate.

In the TC2 class for normally aspirated cars, Czech driver Michael Matejovsky was fastest in the BMW 320si, fourth overall, with team-mate Petr Fulín not taking part in the session. Fulín, the ETCC TC2 class points leader, like Engstler, will be taking part in the WTCC races as well this weekend, driving in one of Campos Racing’s SEAT León WTCC cars in the TC2T category.

Aku Pellinen was fastest of the Single-Make Trophy cars in his SEAT León Supercopa, just three-tenths of a second faster than John Filippi, who was taking part in the open test session in a SEAT León Supercopa in order to gain experience of the circuit for his WTCC debut this weekend with Campos Racing.

In the Super 1600 class, Luxembourg’s Gilles Bruckner was fastest in his Team LuxMotor Ford Fiesta. Bruckner missed the opening round of the Cup at Paul Ricard due to an engine problem with his new Fiesta, and will be aiming to make up ground this weekend. The S1600 points leader Ulrike Krafft, did not take part in the session.

There is a second test session scheduled for 14:45 to 15:45 CET this afternoon.