Hungarian racer Adrienn Vogel took second in the Kia Platinum Cup in Monza after an incredible race started from the last position.
The Kia Platinum Cup, Polish one-make series dedicated to the small Kia Picanto, made its trip to Autodromo di Monza for its final round of the 2019 season, supporting the GT Open program on the historic Italian circuit.
Very popular in Eastern Europe, the Kia Cup put on a show that was inversely proportional to the size of its racing cars: both races were defined by spectacular battles throughout the field, from start to the very last millimeter at the finish line. Two ladies were on the grid of this entertaining championship: Hungarian Adrienn Vogel and 16-year old Polish driver Marcelina Czepiel.
Vogel, starting the first race from the fourth place, had a great start and chased the leading trio towards the second chicane. But it was Filip Zagorski to put an early end to the fast Hungarian driver’s race, as he hit hard under braking the Kia Picanto #4. Vogel was skilled to control the car without spinning, but the crash had severely damaged her rear suspension and she was forced to retire after the first lap.
Zagorski received a 25 seconds penalty for causing the collision.
Czepiel took the start from 13th place and had a positive first laps, making up some positions. At the half-race distance, Marcelina was involved in a contact at the second Lesmo corner which unfortunately beached her Kia in the gravel. Despite the race-ending incident, Czepiel had showed competitive pace in the first part of the race.
In the final stages, a three-way battle between Borek, Szablewski and Wierzbicki had everyone standing on their feet, as the leaders kept racing at few thousandths of a seconds-distance and with position changes occurring at every corner. The battle unfortunately resulted on a massive crash on the last lap on the straight leading towards Parabolica: Szablewski clipped Borek, sending the latter hard into the guard-rail.
Szablewski crossed the line to take the victory, but after the unavoidable penalty he was classified in 6th position.
The second race saw Marcelina Czepiel and Adrienn Vogel sharing the last row of the grid after the retirements of the morning race. Vogel had a flashing getaway from last and chose the outside line at the tricky First Monza Chicane, climbing already up to 11th.
On the second lap she made another move stick around the outside at the full-speed corner Biassono and, one lap later, she completed a mega double-pass at La Roggia for P8.
Czepiel climbed up to P12, passing Jurecki, while Vogel closed a 2 seconds gap on Borek, getting back into the mid-field.
After a series of daring overtakings, including a stunning double-move on the outside of Parabolica for P5, Vogel somehow managed to close a 4 seconds gap to the leading group.
With Kia Platinum Cup once again providing spectacular action, the top 5 went all side-by-side on the main straight: Vogel got squeezed in the mix, but kept her fifth place until Lesmo, where she passed Bernula.
Few corners later and the top 3 was no more a mirage: the Hungarian attacked and passed Serafin and Borek and, with two laps to go, eyed an unbelievable victory. Wierzbicki tried to break the tow on the long straights, but the unstoppable Vogel passed him and took the lead, only to be passed on the line by 2 tenths of a second by the comeback of Dawid Borek.
“It was very tough and I’m so tired! In the first race another competitor pushed me off track, which broke my suspension and damaged a lot of other components on the car, so I couldn’t finish the race.“
“Starting from the last position for the second race, I don’t know how but I came back and overtook a lot of guys: it was a very busy race, we were always passing each other, every corner, but I finished in second position and I’m so happy!”
Czepiel retired with two laps to go after running steadily in 12th place for most of the race, completing her Italian weekend with no points.
An ecstatic Adrienn Vogel took second from last on the grid after a stunning performance and finished a competitive season fifth in the standings and with three podiums finishes.
In Adrienn's words:
"I don’t know how but I came back and overtook a lot of guys: it was a very busy race, we were always passing each other, every corner, but I finished in second position and I’m so happy!"
Ph credits: Racers-BehindtheHelmet.com