Truck Racing action resumes at Autodrom Most
After the summer break following the action-packed Nürburgring event, the Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship is back underway with the fifth round of the season at Autodrom Most.
Kiss leads the title hunt with a 54-point gap over his rivals, meaning he’s going to need some bad luck and his competitors are going to have to finish the season very strong, if they hope to deny the Hungarian his third title on the bounce.
Behind him, however, the battle for second to fourth is incredibly tight, with just 24 points separating Jochen Hahn, Sascha Lenz and Antonio Albacete respectively. All three will be looking to add more podiums and wins to their campaign this weekend as the battle for most podium appearances in the Goodyear FIA ETRC history continues between Hahn and Albacete.
Promoter’s Cup graduate from 2022 Jamie Anderson and Steffi Halm have been having a fantastic middle order fight this season, both trying to claim sixth in the championship. Advantage is with Halm after Anderson missed the first race of the season and the sole-female driver took her second podium of the season at her home race as 13 points separate the pair. André Kursim currently sits fifth in the championship order, 17 points ahead of Halm.
The Most round sees a familiar face join the Titan class as a race-by-race entry as Adam Lacko makes his return to the Goodyear FIA ETRC grid. Lacko, who had been a regular in the championship, did not retain his full season entry when Buggyra ZM Racing withdrew from the European series. He will be on track this weekend in his trusted Freightliner machine.
José Eduardo Rodrigues continues to top the Promoter’s Cup standings at the halfway point of the season, but the last two rounds have not been as dominant for the Portuguese driver as the start of the year. With a great return to form for Steffen Faas after a disappointing Pozńan event, the German is now within 13 points of the championship lead, a much more achievable feat, than what had been expected after the Polish round. The battle between the two should continue to keep fans on the edge of their seat around the Autodrom Most circuit.
A slow start for rookie Mark Taylor has paved the way for a strong campaign being built, with the Brit now being seen as a frequent class podium finisher and Super Pole contender. Round three was the real turning point for Taylor, who now seems to be in tune with his MAN truck and is extracting great performance every weekend. If he can stay on top of this strong form, third in Promoter’s Cup is very much possible for the Englishman in his first full season.
Fellow rookie John Newell has had more of a turbulent season so far, starting strong with class podiums but struggling as the season has progressed. He, along with other full season Promoter’s Cup entries Luis Recuenco and Clemens Hecker will be hoping the summer break has given them a chance to get on top of their performance to look to finish the second half of the season on a high.
For the third time this season, Lukas Hahn joins the grid once again as a race-by-race entry, looking to continue his spectacular form in the Goodyear FIA ETRC. He will join the Promoter’s Cup grid and also continue his fight with Rodrigues for the European Young Driver Champion honours, the new classification in the Goodyear FIA ETRC in 2023 to help boost and encourage young truck drivers to get involved in the series.
Race action begins on Friday, with the first qualifying session taking place Friday afternoon, rather than its usual Saturday morning slot.
Check out the full schedule for the weekend HERE
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