CONSISTENCY PUTS HECKER IN FRONT OF CHROME CLASS
Three podiums, including a class win at Misano, see Clemens Hecker take the lead in the Chrome standings.
While Mark Taylor looked like the driver to beat heading into the weekend - securing pole positions and wins in Races 1 and 3 - it was Hecker’s consistent scoring across all four races that gave him the edge. Despite Taylor's impressive pace, two retirements left him trailing Hecker by one point.
Hecker Racing worked hard over the winter to get the #25 truck back into Chrome class contention. After a relatively quiet 2024 season, they’ve come out fighting. The Misano weekend started modestly with a P5 in Race 1, but Hecker built momentum, securing P3 and P2 before taking his first-ever Chrome class victory in Race 4.
Taylor was quick to lay down a marker in the Chrome title fight. Taking pole and dominating Race 1 with both pace and race craft, he looked unstoppable. But bad luck in Races 2 and 4 - retiring from both without scoring - added a frustrating twist to an otherwise strong showing.
Race-by-race entrant Jonathan André claimed his first Chrome class win in Race 2, capitalising on Taylor’s bad luck. It was a well-earned reward for the Lion Truck Racing outfit, who have clearly done their homework ahead of the 2025 season. Expect them to be a competitive presence in every round André contests.
Bradley Smith, in his first full Goodyear FIA ETRC season with Don’t Touch Racing, showed real promise. Smith proved he’s here to make his mark, claiming two second place finishes in Races 1 and 2 . He sits fourth in the Chrome standings, just six points behind Hecker - a gap that could close quickly with strong performances.
Matching Smith on points in tied fourth is fellow Brit John Newell. NWT Motorsport spent the off-season building a new truck, though some issues led to a slow start at Misano. Still, Newell’s pace is undeniable. He ended the weekend with a second-place Chrome finish in Race 4 and will be looking to carry that momentum into Lausitzring.
Luke Garrett’s weekend started with setbacks reminiscent of early 2024, as technical issues plagued the #42 truck on Saturday. But by Sunday, the Brit was ready to show he’ll be in the mix with the front runners. After a podium in Race 3, unfortunately, his strong pace was cut short by pure misfortune when Antonio Albacete was spun around in front of him, leaving Garrett with nowhere to go and resulting in a collision that ended both their races. The team now face extensive repair work to get the truck ready for Lausitzring this weekend.
Luis Recuenco, Stefan Kursch and Christian Ruppert had mixed starts to their seasons. Recuenco showed glimpses of strong pace in qualifying but struggled to convert that into race results. Kursch and Ruppert, both on their first full Goodyear FIA ETRC season, will be looking to build rhythm and consistency as the championship unfolds.
Steffen Faas and the tankpool-24 Racing team endured a weekend to forget after debuting their brand-new Freightliner truck. Plagued by technical issues from the outset, Faas was unable to take part in either qualifying session due to steering and turbo problems. In Race 1, he retired with just four laps to go, while Race 2 saw him sidelined completely. A turbo failure during Sunday’s warm-up dashed any chance of running in Qualifying 2, and although the team worked tirelessly to make the grid for Race 3, an electrical failure delayed the start and forced Faas into retirement after a single lap. Race 4 offered no relief, as he returned to the pits just two laps in. The team now turn their attention to Lausitzring, hopeful that they can finally show what the new #24 Freightliner is capable of.
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