Friday in Jarama

30. September 2011Jarama - It’s hot in the Spanish capital, more than 30 °C (86 °F) in the shade with an almost cloudless sky, so that all the teams took their time with the erection of their equipments, although the Hungarian Oxxo Racing Team and Erwin Kleinnagelvoort’s crew from the Netherlands were almost ready by Wednesday evening. The other teams followed on Thursday. But as nothing else remained to be done and time was dragging on many people wondered whether it was really necessary to arrive that early. In fact, the teams have got into the habit of leaving earlier for a venue over the years, although most race weekends do not begin before 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays, so that for lack of anything better to do they spent quite some time talking. But there wasn’t really anything new – at least not on the topics people had expected to hear more about. As already mentioned, Egon Allgäuer had announced that he was going to retire from truck racing, but there weren’t any further information given as to whether the team would continue, and if so, how they would proceed. And suddenly priority was given to a matter which so far had only been of marginal interest.
For years the question resurfaced time and again whether the FIA European Truck Racing Championship should include new race circuits, and last year the Istanbul circuit showed interest in participating. Now it was even put about that a round of the 2012 season might take place in Turkey. But till we know for sure a lot of water will have flowed under the bridge.
As the day progressed, more and more show trucks assembled in the paddock, and the artists who are going to take part in the stage show rehearsed their programme, because on Saturday – at the start of the 25th anniversary of the Jarama Truck Grand Prix – they want everything to be perfect.

Impressions: