Le Mans Preliminary Report

22. September 2021It’s like the FIA European Truck Racing Championship only just began – and now the 2021 season’s already hurtling to its finish with three rounds in three weeks. This weekend is the epic 24 Heures Camions at Circuit Bugatti in Le Mans.
The 24h Camions was first held in Le Mans almost exactly 40 years ago, in October 1981. Since then it has consistently ranked among the most popular events withal on the truck racing calendar. Quite apart from the races of the ETRC and the Championnat de France, the biggest attraction here is the exhibition of showtrucks without number, a spectacular display that stretches through Saturday night into early Sunday morn.
For the truck racers in the FIA series it’s imperative to keep their attention on the championship, not the easiest job in the atmosphere that prevails. Hungarian twice-champ Norbert Kiss (MAN) leads the standings with a 14-points advantage over Czech Adam Lacko. The remarkably consistent Buggyra pilot won his first race this season in Zolder to overtake Sascha Lenz, but despite a rather dismal Sunday in Zolder the German MANler is only four points below Lacko. Somewhat further down, but still very much within striking distance, are multiple champs Antonio Albacete (MAN) and Jochen Hahn (Iveco).
Hahn has had a seesaw season to date, with soaring successes and crushing disappointments. In Zolder the bantam from Altensteig showed that, though he lies a lowly fifth in the standings, he can still win like champions do.
For the fans there’s tonnes of excitement in store. The weather forecasts are all over the map – from the looks of it we should have lots of sunshine, but rain cannot be entirely ruled out.