After pushing Marko Muru – a top three finisher
around the Circuit Jules Tacheny 12 months earlier – hard in heat one, Pauwels
then sent out a signal of intent in heat two. While not getting the best
start from pole position, he outfoxed Team E duo Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Nils
Andersson to exit the first corner in the lead, and once in front, never looked
back. The 19-year-old’s advantage at the chequered flag was almost seven
seconds. Over the defending champion...
Andersson came out-of-the-blocks much faster
the next day, hassling Pauwels throughout heat three, before the Belgian
produced a demon launch from the outside of the grid in heat four to top the
intermediate Ranking courtesy of three consecutive race wins.
Pauwels had to give best at the start of the
final, however, as fellow front row-sitter Isak Sjökvist swept boldly around
the outside into Turn One, but the home hero was not to be denied and a lap
three joker – allied to his prodigious raw pace – enabled him to gain the
undercut on his Swedish rival, thereafter edging away to seal a hugely popular
victory.
“I’m super-happy,” the Diest native enthused. “The
competition in RX2e is tough, so I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but I love
this track and the heat win on Saturday afternoon gave us confidence going into
Sunday.
“Despite losing the start, I managed to stay in
touch with Isak [Sjökvist] early on in the final, and big thanks to my spotter
for nailing the joker strategy. After that, I put in the lap of my life. It was
amazing to win in front of the local fans, who gave me so much support, and if
we get another opportunity to race, I’ll be there. Maybe in Portugal, you never
know...”
Sjökvist was obliged to settle for the runner-up
spoils at the end of comfortably his most competitive display of the campaign
to-date. Although missing out on the top step, the #YellowSquad star’s second
consecutive podium finish in 2024 enabled him to take eight points out of
Andersson’s championship lead, meaning the pair will head into the Montalegre season
finale on 7-8 September separated by just 11 points.
Off-road rookie Luka Wlömer rounded out the
rostrum in third, as the German steered clear of Turn One drama in the final to
claim the best result of his rallycross career to-date. Muru wound up just over
a second further back in fourth, with fifth-placed Andersson and Åhlin-Kottulinsky
in sixth both compromised after picking up damage in the first corner crunch.
Greece
Poland
Portugal