The most anticipated race of the season is almost upon us as the FIA European Truck Racing championship (FIA ETRC) heads to the world famous Nürburgring next weekend.
The most anticipated race of the season is almost upon us as the FIA European Truck Racing championship (FIA ETRC) heads to the world famous Nürburgring next weekend.
The German round of the FIA ETRC takes place at this historic track and is renowned for attracting a huge crowd, probably the largest in this very popular championship.
With over 20 trucks already entered for the quartet of races the fans can look forward to an action-packed feast of trucking entertainment. Drivers, teams and fans come from all over Europe, but there are at least seven drivers from Germany hoping that their home race crowd can inspire them to greater results.
One of the biggest names ever in German truck racing and certainly one of the most popular is Jochen Hahn who is fighting tooth and nail in 2016 to take a fourth FIA European Truck Racing Championship title.
The 2011, 2013 and 2013 championship winner has shown his usual skill, pace and race craft in 2016, with the excellent Team Hahn Racing squad.
René Reinert has won two races so far, in what is shaping up to be his best season to date and has been an occasional thorn in Hahn and fellow title challenger Adam Lacko’s side.
Championship regulars Gerd Körber (Team Schwabentruck IVECO), Sascha Lenz (Lenz MAN) and André Kursim (Tankpool24Racing Mercedes-Benz) will all be keen to score more points to those accrued so far this season. Körber will be very eager to re-join the battle for podiums and points after having to miss the last round in Nogaro and young guns Lenz and Kursim are determined to make their presence felt; look out for them challenging for points, especially in the reverse grids of races two and four.
What is certain is that the boys from Germany won’t be having it all their own way as Steffi Halm has enjoyed a fine season so far with excellent podium positions scored at Misano last month and some very competitive races. Halm, who is from Herrenberg in the south-west of Germany, drives a Reinert Racing MAN truck and has become a firm crowd favourite in the 2016 FIA ETRC already.
Her fellow WOW Women on Wheels entrant, Ellen Lohr, is another very popular driver and whilst she may reside in Monaco, there is no doubt in the fans minds that she is a local.
In addition to these season entrants, there is the possibility of at least one more German racer joining the grids at Nürburging as a race-by-race entrant for the local crowd to be able to cheer onto the chequered flag.
With the podium ceremonies and post-race conferences all taking place in the Fan Village, a fresh innovation introduced by new championship promoter the ETRA, fans will have even more opportunities to get close to their heroes and be a part of a fantastic weekend of truck racing, entertainment and industry.
About the FIA European Truck Racing Championship
The FIA European Truck Racing Championship (FIA ETRC) is the premier truck racing series in the world with the best trucks and drivers competing over nine rounds for the title.
Racing on some of Europe’s most famous circuits, teams from France, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain and Portugal and many other nations compete for the truck racing’s most prestigious crown – the FIA European Truck Racing Championship.
For 2016 the FIA ETRC sees the beginning of a new dawn as a fresh promoter, ETRA Promotion GmbH, takes over the running of the championship in an effort to enhance the marketability of the series over the next five seasons.
Goodyear is the major technical partner of the FIA ETRC and has committed to the championship for the next three seasons
ETRC 2016 calendar dates:
|
30 April/1 May |
Austria |
Red Bull Ring |
|
28/29 May |
Italy |
Misano |
|
11/12 June |
France |
Nogaro |
|
2/3 July |
Germany |
Nürburgring |
|
27/28 August |
Hungary |
Hungaroring |
|
3/4 September |
Czech Republic |
Most |
|
17/18 September |
Belgium |
Zolder |
|
1/2 October |
Spain |
Jarama |
|
8/9 October |
France |
Le Mans |