The fifth round of round of the 2017 FIA European Truck Racing Championship held this weekend at the Hungaroring will be Shane Brereton’s first appearance on the European stage this season.
The fifth round of round of the 2017 FIA European Truck Racing Championship held this weekend at the Hungaroring will be Shane Brereton’s first appearance on the European stage this season.
The British Truck Racing Championship regular made four FIA ETRC appearances last season, with a best finish of eight achieved at Le Mans.
This year the British racer is setting the bar higher for himself and expecting to achieve a step forward in competitiveness. "If I could get a fourth of fifth I’ll be over the moon," says Brereton, who also should be a contender in the Promoter’s Cup. "It’s nice because it gives you a goal to go for. The likes of Jochen [Hahn] and Norbert [Kiss] are so fast but at least we can still come away with something," he adds, believing that a podium in the Promoter’s Cup is "doable".
Brereton is only in his third season of truck racing, having come from a vastly different background, starting out in hot rod oval racing before turning his attention to stock cars and later pick-up trucks.
"I had done national hot rods for about ten years, then I, unfortunately, broke my back so I didn’t race for a while," he says. "Then I had done SCSA (Stock Car Speed Association), European Late Model Series and I felt better, so I went back to do hot rods. The sport changed and I felt that I needed a new challenge, so I bought a pick-up and started doing the series. Halfway through the [2015] season I was given a drive in the Kelsa Scania [in the BTRC] and after the first meeting I thought 'I’m having one of these'. At the end of the season I managed to get my own and here we are two years later."
Hot rods and stock cars are worlds apart when compared with truck racing, hence getting accustomed to hurling a 5.3-ton race truck required some patience. "It’s completely different, that’s why we’re slowly getting faster because I’ve got to change things I’ve done for years. Some of it is relevant because with the hot rod you would have the back sliding a little bit – that’s familiar but I’m not used to a turbo engine. That’s my biggest problem, understanding the turbo lag. As I slowly get my confidence controlling that, we’re getting quicker."
The Hungaroring won’t be Brereton’s only appearance of the year. "I’m going to do Most, Le Mans and I may do Jarama," – he assures. The Brit is also eying a full FIA ETRC campaign next season. If we can get the right backing, I’ll be very much interested in doing the European series [in 2018]."