Days of thunder
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Derbyshire’s Donington Park circuit saw the start of the 2011 FIA European Truck Racing Championship. After a 10-year break, could the sport enjoy a resurgence in the UK?
Words/Images: Tom Cunningham
IF YOU TOOK A trip to Donington over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, then you’ll be aware of the fact that FIA European Truck Racing was back in the UK (with a vengeance). Huge crowds iled through the gates on the two days, dispelling the theory that truck racing is not a sport British fans will turn up for.
Entertaining stuff
As the championship’s main sponsor, Renault provided everything to keep the crowds entertained, down to grid girls, Elvis impersonator Ben Portsmouth, and the Kerax wreckers to pull stricken trucks off the track. Support races for the event included Pickup Trucks, Legends Cars and the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship.
From the start, Renault’s factorybacked MKR Technology team started the season in good form. The 2010 European Champions took podium positions in all four races. The star of the team was Germany’s Markus Oestreich, fastest in qualifying for Saturday’s and Sunday’s race with times of 1:26.2 and 1:15.9. On Sunday, Oestreich led the race from the start, with Jochen Hahn taking second place, ahead of reigning champion Antonio Albacete in third spot.
Both days brought varied results for the other two MKR drivers. Markus Bösiger had mixed fortunes for the irst day, but managed to claw back sixth in the irst race and ifth in the second on Sunday.
Leading champions
After a promising start on Saturday, the team’s junior driver Adam Lacko suffered a turbo hose failure on Sunday, which inished his race weekend.