2021 FIA European Truck Racing Championship - Jarama REview
Luke continues his climb up the rankings of the Goodyear Cup in the FIA ETRC after mixed conditions at Jarama in Spain.
2021 FIA European Truck Racing Championship
Jarama Free Practice 1/2 MV Commercial
The MV Commercial Racing Team were very happy in the two free practice sessions as they bedded in the MAN race truck ahead of the first of two races at the Jarama Circuit in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship.
Luke Garrett spent the sessions learning the track and trying to find the best lines but a high-speed accident for team partners Apollo Tyres Tor Truck Racing curtailed the session early on as the truck careered into the barriers at nearly 150 Kilometres an hour, the driver Shane Brereton emerged unhurt.
Garrett was happy with the session, ‘This is the first time I have raced at Jarama, so I am learning the track, it is very undulating and some technically testing corners, but it is an exciting circuit to drive’.
The MV Commercial Racing Team driver added, ‘We had a terrific round at Le Mans, scoring our first European Championship points of the season and we would like to build on these results in this round’.
Garrett was ahead of Brereton when the accident occurred, ‘I was slowing down to let Shane pass me so that I could gauge the lines he was taking so I was looking in my mirrors and all of a sudden I saw the truck veer off the circuit and into the barriers with no reduction in speed, at first I thought he had tipped over such was the impact, but fortunately when I came back around I could see there was substantial damage but the truck was on its wheels’.
‘Session 2 was similar to the first, it is such a technical circuit a hard circuit to drive, we really need more time on it but qualifying is coming up and it will be interesting to see how we do’.
2021 FIA European Truck Racing Championship
Jarama Race 1 MV Commercial
The MV Commercial Racing Team secured more points in the Chrome Classification ‘Goodyear Cup’ in the first race of the weekend in the 5th Round of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship at Jarama.
Luke Garrett made an impressive start passing Aliyyah Koloc and Teo Calvet in the opening lap and then looked likely to make more ground on lap 2 as Rodrigues made an error going into turns four and five of the Jarama Circuit but Koloc moved across and took out the British driver who had no option but to stop and rejoin at the back of the pack.
Koloc then removed Heinrich Clemens Hacker at the very next corner and suddenly Luke had regained those lost places and set about trying to get on the back of the four truck chain headed by Anthony Janiec.
The MV Commercial Racing Team persevered and closed the gap to those ahead but could not strike a blow as they finished 14th and fifth in class earning Luke Garrett 8 valuable points in the Goodyear Cup moving him to joint 5th alongside Aliyyah Koloc.
Whilst Norbert Kiss, Sasha Lenz and Jochen Hahn sailed off into the distance, the midfield battle was intense, Jamie Anderson led the Chrome category and battled with Reinert for a top 8 position, Brereton led the chasing pack behind Janiec with Steffen Faas and Rodrigues closing quickly, of the remaining runners, Aliyyah Koloc failed to brake in time taking out initially Luke Garrett who had made up a number of places from his grid position and Heinrich Clemens Hecker at the very next corner, the damage sustained eventually leading to her retirement alongside teammate Calvet and Hecker himself.
2021 FIA European Truck Racing Championship
Jarama Race 2 MV Commercial
The MV Commercial Racing Team secured more points in the Chrome Classification ‘Goodyear Cup’ in the second race of the weekend in the 5th Round of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship at Jarama.
Luke Garrett made an impressive start passing Aliyyah Koloc and Heinrich Clemens Hecker in the opening lap and then looked likely to make more ground on lap 2 closing onto the back of Jamie Anderson.
Anderson found a way past Steffen Faas and Anthony Janiec, following Teo Calvet up the order as the race began to take shape.
The battle with Faas was temporarily interrupted when Faas overtook Janiec only to lose the place when he ran wide at turn 8. With this battle becoming more intense the MV Commercial Team driver Luke Garrett took a watching brief but pulled alongside Faas in the final laps only to have the door shut firmly by the German driver.
The MV Commercial Racing Team persevered and closed the gap to those ahead but could not strike a blow as they finished 13th and fifth in class earning Luke Garrett 8 valuable points in the Goodyear Cup moving him to 5th place one point ahead of Aliyyah Koloc on 80 points.
In the overall race Andre Kursim took the race win ahead of Steffi Halm and Antonio Albacete, Norbert Kiss, the Championship leader extended his lead with nearest rivals Adam Lacko and Sasha Lenz finishing behind him. Jose Rodriguez was the top Chrome class finisher in 7th place ahead of Teo Calvet in 8th.
2021 FIA European Truck Racing Championship
Jarama Sunday Warm Up MV Commercial
The MV Commercial Racing Team again prepared for the session with no set up change to the race set up from yesterday, the team preferring to go with the softened shock adsorbers at the front of the truck following the free practice sessions and race one which made an improvement to the performance.
The predicted rain arrived just after the trucks had been on track a few minutes, so the MV Commercial Team pilot Luke Garrett concentrated on racing lines which were changing by the minute.
Garrett was happy with the handling of the race truck but thought Qualifying might be problematic as the rain continued to fall.
2021 FIA European Truck Racing Championship
Jarama Qualifying 2 MV Commercial
The MV Commercial Racing Team qualified in 16th position as heavy rain posed problems for everybody in qualifying.
Luke Garrett watched on as drivers struggled to come to terms with a changing track, Jochen Hahn spinning off and avoiding the barrier, Shane Brereton did likewise as experienced race drivers in this championship all found the Jarama track testing and difficult.
Garrett commented, ‘That was a difficult session for us drivers as well as the trucks, it was difficult to find a true racing line as the track changed from corner to corner. There is so much water on the track it did not drain off and if you caught a puddle even if it was small it was enough to put you out of position for the line’.
The race was scheduled to be run at 13.10 local time but has been delayed due to track conditions.
2021 FIA European Truck Racing Championship
Jarama Race 3 MV Commercial
The MV Commercial Racing Team started in 16th position as heavy rain posed problems for everybody in qualifying, and further incidents from the Spanish Truck Championship, where gearbox oil was dropped all over the circuit almost curtailed racing .
Luke Garrett watched on as drivers struggled to come to terms with a changing track, despite starting two laps under yellow flag conditions, ‘Keeping the truck on track was the most rewarding aspect of this race, the track was like ice it was so slippery’.
Garrett commented, ‘I was happy to be involved in the battle with Shane (Brereton), Jamie (Anderson) and Steffen (Faas) especially when I took advantage of a mistake by Rene (Reinert), it shows how far we have come as a team that we are on the pace with the Goodyear Cup Championship contenders’.
Garrett and the MV Commercial Racing Team finished 14th overall and took 6 points in the Goodyear Cup Championship.
