Hahn Racing celebrates 20 years of committed excellence in truck racing this month. We look back on an amazing adventure
Truck racing is renowned for its welcoming and open atmosphere and it is fitting that that the German outfit, Team Hahn Racing chose to mark this anniversary with an invitation to friends, fans and partners to join them for a great family event at their home base near Altensteig to help them celebrate the large part they have played in the history of the giants of motorsport.
1,500 people visited the team’s renovated workshop and enjoyed a sunny day of activities including an autograph session, film screenings, paddock tours and fun for the children.
Back in 1996, Konrad Hahn, who was working as a salesman, decided to buy a run-down Mercedes Benz race truck and racing trailer. Never could he have imagined that this would be the start of the very successful Hahn Racing Dynasty.
Konrad remembers those early times “For me it was a dream to drive a race truck. I have not much considered as we went to the first race. For me it was just fun. Today it is our job.”
Konrad was becoming increasingly competitive, and in 1999 he had podium finishes at his home event at the Nürburgring along with Donington (UK) and Zolder (Belgium). Unfortunately, Zolder would also be the scene of a very nasty accident which led to Konrad making the decision to retire from Truck Racing.
By this time, his son, Jochen, had caught the truck racing bug and he took over the racing duties. In 2000 Hahn Jr made quite an entrance onto the truck racing stage with a maximum points haul in Zolder taking him to fourth overall in the championship and the ‘Rookie of the Year’ Accolade.
In the following years Jochen continues to be a threatening presence in the championship, first in a Mercedes-Benz, before taking the steering wheel of a MAN truck in 2008, the make he still races today. In 2011 Team Hahn Racing struck gold with the first of three consecutive European Truck Racing Championship driver titles for Jochen who comments
“To be a triple champion is for every driver a dream.I'm so proud that I made it with my team. This year we are fighting very hard with Adam (Lacko)for a fourth title.”
2014 (second) and 2015 (third) saw his as runner up in the FIA ETRC, as Norbert Kiss dominated the rest of the field. However, in 2016 the German driver is more motivated than ever and is on a championship charge against Adam Lacko, in one of the closest fought battles the FIA ETRC has seen.
Georg Fuchs and Rolf Werner, Managing Directors of ETRA GmBh, the promotors of the FIA ETRC added their congratulations to the team saying “Team Hahn Racing in general and Jochen in particular really epitomise the spirit of the FIA ETRC and the whole of the ETRA would like to congratulate them on 20 years in European Truck Racing.
“Jochen is one of the smartest and fastest drivers out on track, but also captures the friendliness and irreverence that is a key part of the spirit of our championship.
“We also recognise the important role that Team Hahn Racing plays in developing trucks and their technology in the championship. Here’s to the next 20 years in the FIA ETRC”
Truck racing is a real team effort and Hahn have a loyal group working in the workshop and go to each of the nine FIA ETRC events including Konrad (Hahn), who still has a big role in the team and Jochen’s wife Diana, who runs the team on a day-to-day basis. The FIA ETRC may be one of the most popular sporting events in Europe, with up to 123,000 fans attending an event, but it is also one of the most down to earth and in the majority of the teams the drivers get stuck in with building the awnings and set up for each event and working on the trucks. Jochen may be a three-time European Champion and regular visitor to the podium, but he can still be found helping to work on his truck and then dismantling the team’s area in the paddock at the end of a race weekend.
Editor’s Notes
Team Hahn Racing Timeline
|
1996 |
Konrad Hahn, a salesman at NGC in Köngen at the time, buys a run-down Mercedes Benz race truck with its racing trailer |
|
1999 |
Konrad wins third place at the Nürburgring, in Donington and Zolderand finishes ffth in the championship. After a severe accident in Zolder he retires and Jochen takes over racing duties |
|
2000 |
Jochen takes maximum points at a wet Zolder weekend, finishes fourth in the championship and is crowned “Rookie of the Year” |
|
2001 - 2007 |
The Team changes to the super race-class B. Jochen is again fourth in the championship. In 2002 they change back to the Racing class and Jochen drives a brand-new Mercedes Benz Axor in 2003. As Daimler partly stopped its withdrawal in 2005, Jochen gets a new truck in 2006 and 2007, but fully withdraws from Truck sports at the end of 2007 |
|
2008 |
Hahn finds a new partner: MAN. The technology from Nuremberg also helps Jochen to achieve another fourth rank on the overall standings and the second place in the team championship, together with Jean-Philipp Beloc. |
|
2009 |
Team Hahn Racing finds a new partner: Team OXXO Racing. Together with the Hungarians, the Team reaches another second place in the Team championship. At the same time, Jochen achieves the best season result in team history. After 2010, number three proudly shines on the MAN TGS. |
|
2011 - 2013 |
Jochen leaves all the other drivers behind and wins the European Truck Racing Champion. In 2012 and 2013 he repeats this success becoming a triple ETRC champion |
|
2014 |
Jochen is runner up in the drivers’ championship and together with René Reinert he wins the third place in the Team Championship. |
|
2015 |
Jochen is third in the European Championship, behind Norbert Kiss and Adam Lacko. He and René Reinert take third place in the Team Championship. |
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 |
FIA ETRC 2016 Season Entrants List:
|
Team |
Nat. Team |
Driver |
Nat. Driver |
No. |
Vehicle |
|
Tankpool 24 Racing |
DEU |
Norbert Kiss |
HUN |
1 |
MERCEDES-BENZ |
|
Jochen Hahn |
DEU |
Jochen Hahn |
DEU |
3 |
MAN |
|
Lion Truck Racing |
FRA |
Anthony Janiec |
FRA |
8 |
MAN |
|
Truck Sport Lutz Bernau |
DEU |
Ellen Lohr |
MCO |
10 |
MAN |
|
Eduardo Rodrigues |
PRT |
Eduardo Rodrigues |
PRT |
11 |
MAN |
|
Czech Truck Racing Team |
CZE |
Frantisek Vojtíšek |
CZE |
12 |
MAN |
|
Erwin Kleinnagelvoort |
NLD |
Erwin Kleinnagelvoort |
NLD |
15 |
SCANIA |
|
Tankpool 24 Racing |
DEU |
André Kurism |
DEU |
42 |
MERCEDES-BENZ |
|
Team Schwaben |
DEU |
Gerhard Körber |
DEU |
27 |
IVECO |
|
Sascha Lenz |
DEU |
Sascha Lenz |
DEU |
30 |
MAN |
|
Stephanie Halm |
DEU |
Stephanie Halm |
DEU |
44 |
MAN |
|
Buggyra International Racing System |
CZE |
Adam Lacko |
CZE |
55 |
FREIGHTLINER |
|
Reinert Racing |
DEU |
René Reinert |
DEU |
77 |
MAN |
|
Buggyra International Racing System |
CZE |
Jiří Forman |
CZE |
86 |
FREIGHTLINER |
FIA ETRC 2016 Team Championship Entrants List:
|
1 / 24 |
TANKPOOL 24 RACING |
MERCEDES BENZ |
NORBERT KISS / ANDRÉ KURSIM |
|
3 / 77 |
TEAM REINERT ADVENTURE |
MAN |
JOCHEN HAHN / RENÉ REINERT |
|
8 / 30 |
LION TRUCK RACING - LENZ |
MAN |
ANTHONY JANIEC / SASCHA LENZ |
|
10 / 44 |
WOW! WOMEN ON WHEELS |
MAN |
ELLEN LOHR / STEPHANIE HALM |
|
55 / 86 |
BUGGYRA RACING 1969 |
FREIGHTLINER |
ADAM LACKO / JIŘíÍI FORMAN |