Official Preview for the latest round of the 2018 FIA ETRC at Le Mans Buggati...
The penultimate round of the 2018 FIA European Truck Racing Championship takes place at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit in France this weekend.
As part of a mouth-watering festival of truck racing, the FIA ETRC grid will again thrill the famously passionate French crowd at the annual 24 Heures Camions event which features brilliant off-track animations and the legendary Truck Show with huge fireworks and a unique carnival atmosphere!
With just eight races remaining in the 2018 season, four at Le Mans and then four a week later at Jarama in Spain, it is truly crunch time in the title chases.
What is being viewed as a potentially significant weekend of action two weeks ago at Zolder, when Jochen Hahn out-scored rival Adam Lacko by 18-points, is looking ever more decisive as the total gap now stands at a surely unbeatable 66-points in favour of Hahn.
However, with a total of 120 to play for, Lacko will not give up on his quest to defend his hard-won 2017 title as he looks to claw back points before the decider at Jarama, Spain next month.
For Hahn and his well-drilled Hahn Racing squad, this weekend could bring back memories of 2016 when he secured his fourth FIA ETRC title in the first race at a circuit he loves and has scored many victories.
However, last season was not such a good year for Hahn at the legendary Le Mans venue, as he missed out on a win allowing Lacko, Steffi Halm, Norbert Kiss and Gerd Korber to share the victories.
Epic Fight for Remaining Positions
If the battle to be champion is almost over, the fight for who will be vice-champion is starting to boil over.
Lacko saw his once seemingly unassailable gap over third position cut down significantly in Belgium and the renewed pace of Antonio Albacete has given the Czech driver cause for concern.
While the gap is 35 points between the pair, Albacete is on an impressive run and the Trucksport Lutz Bernau racer scored his third victory of the 2018 season last time out at Zolder.
Just four points behind Albacete is Tankpool24 Racing’s Norbert Kiss who by his high standards has had a disappointing run of results.
The Hungarian has taken just a single win in 2018 and will be going all out to make sure that he adds at least another win and take back that third place from Albacete.
One of the undoubted stars of the season so far has been Sascha Lenz who places fifth but within striking distance of Kiss and Albacete.
The SL Trucksport 30 driver not only scored his first win of his career at Misano earlier this year but is also the only driver to score in each of the 24 races held so far.
Also sure to be in hunt for podiums and possibly wins this weekend are Rene Reinert [Reinert Racing] and Steffi Halm [Team Schwabentruck IVECO).
Both the former team mates have had success at Le Mans before with Reinert having taken a debut double in 2015, and Halm notching up three wins in the past two years at the venue.
Andre Kursim will also be looking to claim an elusive first win of the season this weekend for the new Don’t Touch Racing squad
Jose Rodrigues too will be hoping he can add to his wonderful victory at Zolder two weeks ago. The Portuguese ace claimed a final race four win to add to his maiden success at Red Bull Ring in 2017.
Brereton: One Hand on GRAMMER TRUCK CUP
Shane Brereton enjoys a 32-point lead in the GRAMMER TRUCK CUP despite having a troubled last two meetings.
The West Countryman and his TOR Truck team have overcome issues in the last two meetings at Most and Zolder and been able to maintain a healthy lead over their closest rivals, Steffen Faas.
Brereton has clocked a remarkable 12 category wins this season so far compared to Faas’ five but the Tankpool24 Racing Mercedes-Benz driver’s consistent points scoring has kept him in the hunt for the inaugural GRAMMER silverware.
Also enjoying a fine season after a circumspect start is Oly Janes who has taken three class wins in the last eight races in his Buggyra International Racing System Freightliner.
The British invasion of the FIA ETRC this year has seen Jamie Anderson also emerge as a category winner with the former rally star taking three wins including a spectacular last corner victory against Brereton at Zolder.
Also sure to be in contention for podium placings are Luis Recuenco (Trucksport Lutz Bernau), Terry Gibbon (T Sport) and Jose-Eduardo Rodrigues (Reboconort MAN).
Making a welcome return after injury will be Frankie Vojtisek in his Czech Truck Racing Team MAN, while Erwin Kleinnagelvoort will be aiming for a so far elusive first podium of the season.
Entry List HERE
Timetable HERE
What Happened Last Year?
Race 1: Steffi Halm
Race 2: Norbert Kiss
Race 3: Adam Lacko
Race 4: Gerd Korber
Watch the action with live streaming HERE
Live Text and Timing available HERE