The T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship in its fourth edition is all set to see some more excitement at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC), with accomplished racers from FIA’s European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC) competing in the championship for the very first time. The ETRC will be represented by six racers from the rest of Europe, who will compete in the Pro class category alongside six British drivers from the British Truck Racing Association (BTRA), who have raced in T1 since the sporting event was first introduced in 2014.
Among these are Spanish Antonio Albacete, three time ETRC Champion (2005, 2006 & 2010), Hungarian Nobert Kiss, two time ETRC Champion (2014 & 2015) and Woman driver Stephanie Halm.
UT Ramprasad, Head – Marketing, Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors, said: “We at Tata Motors are delighted to introduce new racers from FIA’s European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC), in season 4 the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship. Having created history by introducing trucking racing in the country for the very first time and then introducing Indian drivers to the sport, today we are also proud to have T1’s very first woman racer, German Stephanie Halm, participate in the fourth edition of the championship, for one of the most diverse motorsport events in the country. The new European racers will definitely bring in some more excitement and experience from the home of truck racing, as they battle it out for the very first time in India, in the best Indian made warhorse – the Tata Prima. True champions from the world of motorsports, we now have all the ingredients, as we ready ourselves for another exhilarating edition of T1.”
Driver from the ETRC competing in Season 4 of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship are Antonio Albacete (Spain), David Vrsecky (Czech Republic), Gerd Körber (Germany), Norbert Kiss (Hungary), Stephanie Halm (Germany) and Thomas Robineau (France).
Drivers from the BTRA competing in Season 4 of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship are David Jenkins (T1 Season 3 Champion), Ryan Smith, Shane Brereton, Adam Bint, Simon Reid and Oliver Janes, all from the UK.
Conducted under the aegis of FIA & FMSCI, the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship will feature Tata Prima race trucks, built for the purpose. A one-make championship, six teams will compete in the Pro Class category of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship – 1) Team Castrol Vecton, Team Cummins, Team Tata Technologies Motorsports, Team Dealer Warriors, Team Dealer Daredevils and Team One World Racing (new team).
India’s only truck racing championship is organised by Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC), with safety and performance standards as per the guidelines of the British Truck Racing Association (BTRA).
Specially developed Prima Race Trucks, built for the 4th edition of Tata Motors T1 Prima Truck Racking Championship, were flagged off on March 3, by the Tata Group Chairman, Mr. Natarajan Chandrasekaran, on the 178th birth anniversary of Tata Group founder, Jamsetji N. Tata.
Apart from hosting experienced international drivers, Season 4 of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship will also host two other races – Champions Class & Super Class. Consisting of Indian racers, selected under the T1 Racer Program, T1 further reinforces the company’s strategic objective of making the profession of truck driving aspirational and at the same time acts as a catalyst to induct drivers into the commercial vehicles profession, addressing the problem of driver shortage.
Season 4 of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship will be held on March 19, 2017, at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC), Greater Noida.