Jarama – This and That
09. October 2012There was a time when everyone thought that in Jarama no one was able to compete with the local star Antonio Albacete. The MAN driver almost always won on this track the previous years. However, in the last races on the Circuito del Jarama, there was not much left from the Spaniard’s big superiority. The same was the case at the 10th race of the FIA European Truckracing Championship. Realistically this would have been the last chance to decrease the gap in points to the title holder Jochen Hahn (MAN). Instead the German was able to extend his lead – to 29 points.
Yet, Hahn still appeased. He knows how fast it can happen that you will not make it over the finish line – either due to technical failures or accidents – and then you can easily lose 20 points.
All truck racers in Jarama had great results and 28 drivers placed, which is a rare thing in the truckracing business. The spectators at the Circuito del Jarama turned the race track into a madhouse. When there was nothing going on on the race track – and that easily happened because there were only the races of the FIA ETRC- the spectators started their own entertainment sessions. 32,000 spectators came to watch the races, but at some point in the past it was almost twice as many fans. This year the truckracers had already been here before, but because of the difficult economic situation and an unemployment rate of almost 25%, many truckracing fans simply can not afford a ticket.
The organizers were probably really happy that the main sponsors, such as Cepsa, MAN and Renault attended and had invited many guests. Behind the scenes other important topics were being discussed, mainly the calendar for next year. What the teams, the TRO and the representatives of the FIA had discussed in Zolder was worth nothing. There they preferred to have 10 races, but then the FIA World Motor Sport Council suggested 12 races, with the possibility that only 10 races would count for the championship. At the end of the season two races would turn into drop results – and this is what nobody wants in the truckracing business. There is supposed to be more information on this in Le Mans.
Impressions:
