Truck racing
Truck racingis a form ofmotorsportroad racingwhich involves modified versions of heavytractor unitsonroad racingoroval trackcircuits.
History
[edit]The sport started in theUnited Statesat theAtlanta Motor Speedwayon June 17, 1979 and was the opening scene in the movieSmokey and the Bandit II.
Maximum race speed is restricted to 160 km/h (100 mph) for safety reasons, and a minimum weight limit is 5500 kg. Races start from a rolling start, and commonly races last from 8 to 12 laps. Although a non contact sport, due to the physical size, and closeness of trucks to one another during races, minor collisions can often occur. However, injuries to drivers are very rare.
Unlike other forms of motor sport aside fromtouring car racing,race trucks look like their road-going counterparts and conform to regulations to ensure that major components used are the same.
North America
[edit]United States
[edit]As a sanctioned sport it began as ATRA (American Truck Racing Association) in 1979 then was sold to N. Linn Henndershott in 1982 and it became the Great American Truck Racing circuit. The races were run on dirt and paved ovals mostly in the Eastern United States. The trucks used in the beginning were working trucks with tandem rear axles, using street tires, and yet speeds of 150 mph (241 km/h) were still attained on the front straight atPocono Raceway,and the closed course record of 132 mph (212 km/h) was set in qualifying atTexas World SpeedwaybyCharlie Bakeron March 21, 1982.
After 1986 when the series was bought by Glenn Donnelly of DIRT (Drivers Independent Race Tracks) the GATR trucks became highly modified with the bodies being cut and lowered, losing the tag axle and shedding more than 2,000 pounds in weight. The last sanctioned GATR race in the US was in July 1993 at Rolling Wheels NY.
TheBandit Big Rig Seriesdebuted in the United States in 2017, giving America its first truck race series since GATR in 1993. The Minimizer Bandit Big Rig Series had 13 races in his first (2017) season, with historic tracksHickory Motor SpeedwayandGreenville-Pickens Speedwayincluded on the schedule.
Mexico
[edit]Mexico also started its own truck racing version called Tractocamiones, which ran from 1992 to 2000 and was revived in 2015 as Campeonato Tractocamiones Freightliner. Notable international drivers that have raced in the series include former Champ Car race winnerMichel Jourdain Jr.,former F1 driverAllen Berg,Indy 500Rookie of the yearBernard Jourdain,the lateCarlos Pardo,Rubén Pardo,Jorge Goeters,Carlos Contreras,Abraham CalderónandJimmy Moralesamong others.[1]
Europe
[edit]TheFIA European Truck Racing Championshipwas created in 1985.
Britain
[edit]In Britain, in the last few years[when?]the profile of truck racing has increased, and currently[when?]over 30 teams regularly compete. Britain’s top truck racing series is TheBritish Truck Racing Championship(BTRC). The sporting regulations came under the control of theFédération Internationale de l'Automobile(FIA) later, to ensure that the vehicles conform to the layout and original style of the truck, whilst defining the safety standards required to race.
The makes of truck currently represented in truck racing cover most of the common marques over the last 20 years.
The regulations allow for trucks to compete in two classes, so trucks with less sophisticated engine management systems, suspension, and braking systems can compete effectively.
The organising body for truck racing in theUnited Kingdomis TheBritish Truck Racing Associationfounded in 1984. The British Championships and race events are organised by theBritish Automobile Racing Club.
South America
[edit]Brazil
[edit]In Brazil, theFórmula Truckhad been held between 1996 and 2017, folding in May 2017 (after only 3 races that year). It featured several factory teams.[needs update]Starting in 2017, theCopa Truckwas created, replacing the former Formula Truck. Almost every driver and factory teams of the former series entered in Copa Truck.
Asia
[edit]
India
[edit]T1 Prima Truck Racing Championshipis a truck racing championship in India byTata Motors.This was also on the calendar of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). This event was held 23 March 2014 at Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida.
Other formats
[edit]Trucks also are very popular in rally raid as a separate category (Group T5) for example inDakar Rallyand others rally raids.
In France, trucks are very common in different types of off-road racing, like thecamion cross(trucks cross in English), similar torallycrossbut with trucks instead. Also in Europe is theTrial camion,(truck trials), likeMotorcycle trialsbut with trucks.
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Kamaz 4326 modified for Dakar Rally -
Coupe de France de camion cross atKerlabo -
Truck trials in Austria
Race truck manufacturers
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See also
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References
[edit]- ^"SuperCopa Telcel".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-05-31.Retrieved2015-05-30.
External links
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