Varied grid of season entrants sets scene for epic 2017 FIA ETRC season
A solid spine of the 2017 FIA European Truck Racing Championship grid has taken shape today as the season entrants committed to the season are announced.
The deadline for submissions to the FIA passed today and an exciting collection and variety of trucks can be unveiled.
Heading the 2017 entry list will be reigning champion Jochen Hahn who will enter a new phase in his glittering career with an all-new IVECO truck. The German will be gunning for his fifth title in 2017 as he aims to write more records in to the FIA ETRC record books.
More big news from the Hahn/Schwaben-Truck camp centres around the four-time champion combining with Gerd Körber in the Teams’ championship in a new squad to be called - Die Bullen von IVECO Magirus.
Reprising the memorable battle for the 2016 tropies the Buggyra International Racing System team from the Czech Republic return with a two truck attack once again.
A pair of Freightliners are entered for 2016 vice-champion Adam Lacko and a second for David Vrsecky, who returns to the FIA ETRC after a year racing predominantly racing in China. Buggyra International Racing System will use some races to introduce a third driver in 2017 as a replacement for Vrsecky. This will be for the Red Bull Ring and Le Mans rounds.
Another two-truck entry comes from the Tankpool24 Racing stable.The German team will race with a pair of Mercedes-Benz trucks for former double champion Norbert Kiss and young charger Andre Kursim keeping continuity and stability for the Markus Bauer run team.
Reinert Racing will run a truck for Steffi Halm, Schwaben-Truck return with a full-season campaign for Gerd Körber and Sascha Lenz returns to the grid after some very promising performances last season. All three of these entries are potential race winners in 2017.
The Truck Sport Bernau team have already detailed their plans for 2017 with returning champion Antonio Albacete after the Spaniard was forced to sit out 2016.
The remarkable story of the Rodrigues family can be read here as they get set to enter three generations in the FIA ETRC at some rounds in 2017. Eduardo Rodrigues and his son Eduardo-Fernando will run at seven of the nine rounds this season, while Eduardo’s grandson Jose-Eduardo will take in selected races.
Dutch truck racing stalwart Erwin Kleinnagelvoort will undertake a full campaign in his trusty Scania truck and aim to become a regular top ten finisher in 2017 after some strong performances last season.
Dominique Orsini is a welcome addition to the FIA ETRC family as he brings his self-run Mercedes-Benz truck for a full campign in 2017. The French driver undertook the Misano, Hungaroring and Most races last season.
Commenting on the reveal of today’s season entrants, ETRA director Rolf Werner said: “2017 has started well with a stable and competetive field of trucks, even though some of our long-term full season prospects suffered from sudden down-turns in the commercial market environment.
“We have four former champions (Hahn, Korber, Kiss and Albacete), a very hungry Adam Lacko intent on revenge this season, and also some proven, exciting race winners like Steffi Halm," added Werner. “Add in some promising young drivers like Sascha Lenz and Andre Kursim and we have the ingredients for a great season of truck racing in 2017.
“We are delighted that serial supporters of the FIA ETRC like Erwin Kleinnagelvoort, and Eduardo Rodrigues have been joined by Dominique Orsini too this year. These guys are an important bedrock in the championship and their commitment is hugely appreciated. We will have a pleasant surprise reveal for those guys very soon. All of the entrants that put their heart and soul in to the ETRC and together we can grow our great racing spectacle further this season.“
The addition of race-by-race entrants is currently being formed by the European Truck Racing Association to add to the season entrants this season.
New additions such as Terry Gibbon will join for the season opening race at Red Bull Ring where the final entry is expected to be expanded significantly. The season opener will also feature local ace Markus Altenstrasser who will compete in a second Team Schwaben-Truck IVECO.
Details of some new faces and some competitive and familiar ones will be announced shortly.
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