Will Mercedes return?

28. April 2008That’s what almost every truck racing fan hopes for. This could also be deduced from the result of the voting that was held on this web site not long ago. All the same, it’s not very likely that we will see the Mercedes Benz service truck in the paddock during a truck racing event this year, because the company’s statements in regard to this matter were delivered in no uncertain terms at the end of last season. But Brazo Radovanovic, the owner and boss of the Croatian Mercedes Euroline Team, who is not without means, is said to have advertised an interest in making the one or other guest appearance at the FIA European Truck Racing Championship. And the Mercedes importer for Croatia has several RaceTrucks with the three-pointed star sitting in his garages.
The season before last, Markus Oestreich and Nico Pulic ‘roughed up’ the field with those Euroline Trucks, Oese was even a title contender for a long time. Last year Mercedes refined the race engine constantly, and with his wins during his last appearance in Jarama Jochen Hahn demonstrated the brilliant performance of this engine. If the Euroline Team wants to live up to previous successes, they should at least be able to use this engine. First and foremost one could expect Euroline core pilot Nico Pulic as a driver. But Radovanovic is always good for a surprise; way back he presented Markus Oestreich out of the blue, and in 2006, at the last Euroline appearance so far, he had ex-champion Jochen Mass drive his third race truck.
Now people in the truck racing community hope that Radovanovic could pave the way for the return of Mercedes by the backdoor.