Part one of our review each and every driver in the 2017 FIA European Truck Racing championship....
In the first part of our 2017 season review we’re taking a look at drivers who we’re classified between 25th and 14th positions in the final standings.
This section of the championship table is in the vast majority comprised of race-by-race entrants. Having said that, many of those who normally fight at the rear end of the pack, demonstrated great motivation and will, to succeed on many occasions last year.
25th – 0 points | Dominique Orsini | Team Orsini Racing | Mercedes-Benz
The Frenchman showed great spirit of competition, trying to punch above his weigh in his venerable black Mercedes-Benz truck. 
Then disaster struck at Zolder when he suffered a blown engine, meaning he was forced to sit out the rest of the season, including his home round of the championship held at Le Mans Circuit Bugatti. Orsini is a truck racer at heart and a welcomedaddition to the paddock, even though points-paying positions were just beyond his reach last year.
24th – 1 point | Jeremy Robineau | Team Robineau | MAN
The older of the Robineau brothers took over the family-run red MAN truck that his brother used at Misano for round three held at the Nürburgring and managed to score a sole point in race two. That was accompanied by two third places in the Promoter’s Cup in what was his only appearance of the season.
23rd – 1 point |José Teodosio | Team VTR | Renault
The Portuguese racer in his distinctive Team VTR Renault raced at the Nürburgring and Zolder and it was at the Belgian venue where he scored his only point of the campaign after a determined race.
22nd – 2 points | Enes Draganovic | Buggyra International Racing System | Freightliner
Enes Draganovic took over the #33 Freightliner from his son Alen for round two of the championship at Misano. That was his one and only appearance of the season before two-time champion David Vršecký returned to partner eventual champion Adam Lacko for the reminder of the season. Draganovic’s weekend was compromised by technical issues but the Slovenian manged to score points once, finishing ninth in race three.
21st – 3points | Frankie Vojtisek | Czech Truck Racing Team | MAN
Vojtisek’s partial 2017 FIA ETRC campaign was marked with technical issues as the popular Czech racer didn’t enjoy a trouble-free run in any of the four rounds (Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Spain) he took part in. A couple of second-place finishes in the Promoter’s Cup is the best Vojtisek was able to achieve last season and we hope he will return for more in 2018.
20th – 4 points | Eduardo Rodrigues | Reboconorte Racing Truck Team | MAN
Truck racing is a passion more than anything else for the 63-year-old. The Rodrigues clan made headlines last year for being the first family in a major FIA-sanctioned championship where three generations of racers shared the track. Eduardo’s son José won the first ever Promoter’s Cup while his grandson José Eduardo joined the fray in the second half of the year in Zolder in order to gain experience.
19th – 4 points | Erwin Kleinnagelvoort | EK Truck Race | Scania
Consistency was key in the Dutchman’s campaign as Erwin is the only FIA ETRC regular to race a Scania truck. Kleinnagelvoort’s biggest achievement of last year was securing third overall in the inaugural Promoter’s Cup standings. What’s most impressive is the fact that he achieved that without a single cup victory along the way, with only José Rodrigues and André Kursim beating him in the standings.
18th – 4 points | Terry Gibbon | T-Sport Racing | MAN
Like Altenstrasser, Gibbon only appeared during the season-opening round at the Red Bull Ring. Seventh in race four and second in amongst the Promoter’s Cup entrants were the highlight of the weekend and the season for the British Truck Racing Championship regular who hopes to make more appearances in 2018.
17th – 5 points | Markus Altenstrasser | Team Schwabentruck | Iveco
It’s difficult to talk about Altenstrasser’s form in 2017 since he only took part in one weekend and finish two races. However the fact that the only Austrian in the field was in the points on two occasions on his home track, plus the form he presented in 2016, suggests that he’s capable of more big results on a regular basis.
16th – 7 points | Alen Draganovic| Buggyra International Racing System | Freightliner
The younger of the Draganivic’s had big shoes to fill taking over the second of the Buggyra International Racing System-run Freightliners from veteran racer David Vršecký. The pressure was on for the 26-year-old who is a newcomer, not only to truck racing, but to racing in general. On his debut and his only appearance of the season the Slovenian scored an emotional Promoter’s Cup victory in race four. But there was also a costly collision with Ryan Smith that caused a red flag in race three.
15th – 8 points | Steffen Faas | Team Schwabentruck | Iveco
2017 was Faas’ first foray into truck racing. The rookie, who made his name in KTM events, teamed up with veteran truck racer Gerd Körber in the second Team Schwabentruck Iveco at Germany and Slovakia. Faas made seven appearances, finishing in the points on three occasions. He was also competitive in the Promoter’s Cup, taking one win and scoring three second places and a third. Overall, a very respectable job given his limited experience.
14th – 8 points | Thomas Robineau | Team Robineau | MAN
The younger of the Robineau brothers competed on the European stage on two occasions this season – at Misano and at Zolder. First of the two outings was where the Frenchman and his family-run MAN were at their best securing fifth overall in race four and two Promoter’s Cup race victories over the course of the weekend. Definitely a driver capable of being in the mix if the right circumstances allow.