Part three of our review of the 2017 FIA ETRC...
6th – 184 points | Sascha Lenz | SL Trucksport | MAN
2017 was a strange season for Lenz. He kept some average performances interwoven with flashes of brilliance. His most attention-grabbing performance of the season was a mighty pole positon at Le Mans. Given the fact Lenz doesn’t have the same resources at his disposal as the drivers who finished in front of him in the final standings, his 2017 season has to be considered as a very solid one. If the SL Trucksport racer can improve his consistency in 2018, a top five overall finish can be a possibility.
5th – 255 points | Antonio Albacete | Truck Sport Lutz Bernau | MAN
The jovial Spaniard returned to truck racing action after an absence during the 2016 season and it took the three-time champ some time to get fully up to speed. His first win of the season came at Slovakiaring and he later added two more victories to his tally when the truck racing fraternity went to Jarama for season finale. Albacete was a class act over the course of the season, being there or thereabout, but performance wise he wasn’t quite there to mount a true title challenge. In order to be in contention for his fourth European crown, the Truck Sport Lutz Bernau team will prepare to go again in 2018.
4th – 298 points | Stephanie Halm | Reinert Racing | MAN
It was an outstanding season for Halm, no doubt about it. She was a regular podium finisher and managed to take three race wins across the year, being an outside title contender at stages of the season. If there’s room for improvement anywhere, it is perhaps within her performance in damp conditions. During the largely wet weekend at the Nürburgring Halm only managed a best finish of fifth. If that aspect improves this year, Halm will be right up there with the very best truck racers and perhaps able to get a sniff of the title.
3rd – 315 points | Norbert Kiss | Tankpool24 Racing | Mercedes-Benz
Over the course of the season Kiss proved once more that he belongs in the group of truck racing’s absolute best drivers. The Hungarian topped ten timed practice sessions and won Super Pole five times over the course of the season, establishing himself as probably the fastest driver out there in terms of sheer natural pace. Having said that, Kiss suffered a fair share of bad luck, especially during his home round in Hungary. With luck on his side, Kiss once again should be a formidable challenger in 2018 as he hunts a third title.
2nd – 343 points | Jochen Hahn | Team Hahn Racing | Iveco
Hahn started off the season on a high, claiming the win in the season-opening race held at the Red Bull Ring. But the new chapter of his career, after swapping proven MAN for an entirely new Iveco, wasn’t without issues. At Misano the team struggled with technical issues and at the Nürburgring he couldn’t find the right set-up and was significantly off the pace by his high standards. The new Hahn/Iveco combination didn’t seem to get faster as the season went on, with the German’s last win coming at Most, three rounds away from the championship’s conclusion. The great German champion will be expecting more in 2018.
1st – 381 points | Adam Lacko | Buggyra International Racing System | Freightliner
Lacko emerged as the main title contender following excellent performances at Misano and at the Nürburgring where he scored six wins and a third place in seven races. From there on it was his championship to lose. He didn’t crack under pressure and drove like a champion, failing to win at least one race only at Slovakia and in Spain. Without a doubt, a worthy champion with more success undoubtedly still to come.