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Jarama This And That

Jarama This And That

06. October 2015Jarama - The fans at this year’s 9th round of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship on Circuito del Jarama to the north of Madrid were another exuberant lot, even if their hero Antonio Albacete and his MAN in the scarlet livery of Cepsa, the Spanish petroleum company that has sponsored the Jarama weekend from way back when, were out of contention for the title.
We must admit we were thrown by the spectator count of only 25,500 that the organisers issued. In the past the number has almost always been 50,000 and above, and the stands didn’t appear to have filled any less than we’ve been used to seeing.
An enquiry brought some clarity. The figure was for Sunday, and corresponded to the number of weekend tickets that had been sold. The estimates for Saturday were 15,000 at the very least, totalling to something over 40,000 spectators over the weekend — a more likely figure.
The weather must take some of the blame. The forecast was bright and clear for Saturday (but we saw the opposite) and of rain on Sunday, which thankfully didn’t fall in quite the quantities that had been predicted.
Be that as it may, it’s the spectators, above all the hard-core fans who occupy the spectacular combination of the Le Mans and Farina bends, who are the real stars in Jarama, solidly backed up by the marshals.
When there’s a break from action on the track, these put up their own programme complete with a concert of chainsaws (minus the saws, of course), Mexican waves, and supporting acts by the marshals. The experience of all this alone makes being here on the first weekend of October well worth the trip.
There were, of course, the races as well. And Norbert Kiss sealed his second title on the trot in the first race. But fears that the action would fizzle out proved to be unfounded. The contest for the runner-up title continues to be hard fought, with MAN pilot Jochen Hahn (GER) a mere point ahead of Czech Adam Lacko (Buggyra Freightliner).
In Most itself it there were signs that the new points scheme, under which same number of points are awarded to the finishers in the handicap race as in each day’s first race, was leading to less competitive and more tactical racing. In Jarama this was glaringly in evidence.
This can’t have missed the attention of the decisionmakers at the FIA either, and 2015 could well be the last season in which a driver won 80 points at one weekend.
Homeboy Albacete had no chance of drastically improving his position in the standings, but the Madrilène did his best to shine regardless - on the track, for his passionate fans, and not least in front of the many guests his sponsor Cepsa had invited. He drove with an aggression we’ve just not seen from him in a long, long while!
But even champion Kiss has one goal as long as he’s seated in a race truck - and that’s the podium.
Neither of the two MAN pilots gave an inch in their wrestle for second place behind Hahn. And so they fought their way to a standstill, both trucks face-to-face, Kiss having spun the Spaniard around and Albacete staring the Hungarian down as it were.
The fans now had someone new to boo, and they let the Hungarian have it. Kiss also collected a 30-second penalty, absolutely justified in the circumstances.

Impressions:

Jarama This And That
Jarama This And That