Racing for the top
Page 11
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WITH A SECOND YEAR of corporate cash from Renault Trucks, this year’s FIA European Truck Racing Championship series kicked off in style with the first race coming from a new venue on the truck racing calendar: the former F1 circuit at Istanbul Park.
With a decent amount of promotion and organisation in place once more, it looks like it will be a great summer for teams and spectators alike. If you’d made a pre-race trip to Paddy Power (other bookmakers are available...), the money would have almost certainly been hedged in favour of the MKR Technology trio of Lacko, Oesterich and Bösiger – were it not for the fact Hahn’s engineers have clearly spent time tweaking engine parts during the winter recess. This resulted in the MAN showing all and sundry a clean pair of heels when it came to straight line speed.
The MKR Renaults looked quicker through tight corners, particularly after hard braking. Team boss Mario Kress has developed an ingenious enclosed water and air friction cooling system after issues in 2011 saw the three drivers suffer from high temperatures and brake fade. The system also acts against water being distributed straight onto the track under braking, which can be an issue when you’re slowing from a top limited speed of 100mph.
Race-weary hacks thought the 5.3km F1 circuit was a tad too long, although the undulating terrain, wide sweeps and long straights made for some interesting races.
In the end, Hahn took a clean sweep of all four race wins. Spain’s Antonio Albacete pushed MKR down the rankings in all but the second race.
Closer to home, 30 June and 1 July sees the championship arrive at Donington Park. More than 30,000 people showed up for the 2011 event, way more than the organisers and sponsors imagined. Expect to see smoking tyres, steaming brakes and close quarters, as well as thundering action. No F1-style lockdowns either, as access to the pits is open. n