Will Bösiger resign from Truck Racing?

27. November 2009Probably we will never again watch an incident as shown on the photo above – where the 2002 Champion, Egon Allgäuer, and the 2007 title winner, Markus Bösiger, are locked in close combat – albeit for different reasons than we would have thought a few weeks ago. After the final the truck racing reports focused on the two pilots from the Alpine countries, because it had been the intention of the Swiss driver to take over Egon Allgäuer’s complete racing team, as the Austrian had been telling several times that he wanted to resign from truck racing. But then there was the much discussed first race at the final round in Jarama and some decisions on the part of the race officials which, in fact, nobody was able to understand.
That’s why Bösiger abandoned his plan to participate in the 2010 season with his own team, which doesn’t necessarily mean that he is going to quit contesting as a racer. After all, he was given time by Buggyra until the end of November to think it over whether or not to continue driving their Freightliner in 2010. At the end of October they began to do their first training session in Most according to the new regulations – i.e. with only one turbocharger and with the differential locked 100 per cent – and quite unexpectedly the two Buggyra pilots Bösiger and David Vrsecky managed to better their lap times by 4 tenths, compared to their fastest times in the previous season. Apart from the two regular pilots, the truck racers Nico Pulic (CRO) and Mikhail Konovalov (RUS) as well as Uwe Nittel from Germany did also some laps in the Freightliners; the latter having tasted blood in the truck racing business for the first time while driving as a guest pilot at the Truck Grand Prix.
Now the ‘expiry date’ for Bösiger’s decision is drawing near, and it doesn’t look as if the Swiss will answer in the affirmative, despite his big chances for success considering the results of the tests. Sounding a bit resigned, he remarked that he was really steamed-up about the decisions and the behaviour of the race officials and the truck racing commission, and what’s more there weren’t any changes made by the FIA that could have boosted his motivation. And he added that Buggyra, too, had made some changes which concerned his personal contact partner; and those were all matters which did not encourage him to keep going, although – at the bottom of his heart – he would love to continue. After all, he had already set a schedule to coordinate all his other business matters and professional obligations with next year’s truck racing dates.
While it seems that Bösiger is still going through an inner conflict in regard to his final decision, the second person in the centre of the speculations following the final round, Egon Allgäuer, has apparently come to a decision, which is different from what could have been expected considering his earlier statements and the rumours that came up thereafter. When the deal with Bösiger came to naught, it was said that the Austrian had sold his racing team to somebody else and had given a written announcement of his intention to withdraw from truck racing. But now he let it be known that he is going to continue with the Truck Race Team Allgäuer, and the contract with MAN was already signed.
At present all statements are released only bit by bit or in the subjunctive mood. And as the racing season starts extremely late in 2010, there will be ample opportunity and plenty of time for more speculations and rumours, until the truck racers will take to the track for the first time at the end of May.