Oese to Start, Muther Abdicated

26. March 2006It was in Nogaro during the test days when Markus Oestreich and the Mercedes crew dropped the first hints that the Super Race Truck Champion was not only there to support the Euroline team. It was planned that the German should start for the Croatian team in Misano at the latest with a Mercedes Axor Race Truck. All those facts were revealed under the seal of secrecy. Some days later Mercedes said they were planning definitively to have Oese start already in Barcelona. '... but don't let anything leak out to the public.', because the formalities with the FIA had to be clarified first.<br />
Last Thursday there was the last possibility for alterations to the Entry List 2006, but on Friday Mercedes kept asking not to reveal anything, as they were still waiting for feedback from the FIA. And on Saturday there was the new FIA list, dated March 23, 2006, and Markus Oestreich with no. 28, and that’s when Mercedes finally agreed to public this small sensation '... we can’t stop it, anyway!'<br />
The abdication of Guntram Muther came as a surprise, too. When in Nogaro, the Austrian did lap after lap and seemed to be rather satisfied, same as team leader Egon Allgäuer. But, according to Muther, on the journey back he began having second thoughts, and so he and the team of his company pondered, whether they had not underestimated the stress and expenditure a complete truck racing season would mean to them. And he did not want to risk neglecting his own business because of the races. So the pilot spoke once more with Egon Allgäuer, and fortunately, Joseph Adua, who had planned to participate in the French Championship only, with his Allgäuer 'Leasing' MAN TGA, was quite willing to enter the European Truck Racing Championship, and so he will start with no. 22.