Adam Lacko is returning to the European Truck Racing Championship after a three-year hiatus. The Buggyra ZM Racing driver will compete this weekend at the Nürburgring in the first of two planned starts this year in the FIA ETRC.
— The second will take place at the end of August at his home race in Most.
For the 2017 European champion, the Nürburgring will mark a competitive return to the top level of European truck racing. The famous German event is traditionally one of the highlights of the season, and this year it carries even greater significance. The ADAC International Truck Grand Prix is celebrating its 40th edition, and the largest field of the season so far is expected on the grid. Lacko is also coming off his latest off-road racing outing, so a major change in both discipline and machinery awaits him.
“I’m really looking forward to the Nürburgring. I’ve been racing off-road recently, so this will be another change. As I like to say about rallying: ‘Hop, hop in an off-roader.’ I like the Nürburgring. They will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of truck racing there. It will be on a grand scale and in a great atmosphere,” says Adam Lacko.
This time, the experienced Czech driver will not be competing in the Buggyra race truck with which his career has long been associated. For this year’s two selected events, he will be behind the wheel of an Iveco. The truck’s different concept will be one of the main topics of the weekend.
“It will be a change. I will be driving an Iveco. It is a big difference. Unlike the bonneted Buggyra, the cab is at the front. The center of gravity is very different. But during testing, I quickly got used to it after just a few laps,” Lacko explains.
The different truck will also require him to adjust his driving habits. “I have to adopt a slightly different driving style. I have to adjust my braking, hit the pedal at different points, and exit corners with finesse,” he adds.
Although Lacko expects a tough challenge against the absolute front-runners, he is not heading to Germany just to rack up kilometers. “I would be happy with a top-five finish. We will see how it turns out, but you go racing to win. I am driving an older generation of Iveco truck. Jochen Hahn and Norbert Kiss are in a league of their own, but I am eager to take on the rest of the field. If we come home with a trophy, I will be even happier,” he says.
For Buggyra, the Nürburgring also serves as an important preparatory event ahead of the domestic highlight of the season in Most. That is where Lacko will return in front of Czech fans at the end of August.
“The goal is to get a feel for the championship and see how far it has moved on. We are competing in two highlights of the truck racing season, the Nürburgring and Most. That is why we chose these two events. The goal is for Adam to get some practice before Most and be in top form for the home race,” explains the team’s head of communications, Jan Kalivoda.
Most holds special significance for both the team and Lacko. “Adam has already secured several victories at Most. The great atmosphere there really motivates him. It is the highlight of the season, and we are really looking forward to it. In the end, we decided on the Iveco. We made some changes to the truck after testing at Most, so we will see whether we are heading in the right direction,” adds Kalivoda.
The race weekend schedule at the Nürburgring kicks off on Thursday with administrative checks and scrutineering, a truck lifting and extrication exercise, a drivers’ briefing, and the first free practice session. Friday will feature the second free practice session and the first qualifying session.
The main racing action will take place over the weekend. On Saturday, the drivers will contest the first 12-lap race from 10:20. The second race will begin at 15:25 and will be run with a reversed starting order. On Sunday, the second qualifying session is on the schedule, followed by the third race at 11:45. The fourth race will wrap up the weekend’s program at 15:55 and, like Saturday’s second race, will feature a reversed starting grid.
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