Truck racing is a form of
motorsport
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
road racing
Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...
which involves modified versions of heavy
tractor unit
A tractor unit (also known as a truck unit, power unit, prime mover, ten-wheeler, semi-tractor, tractor truck, semi-truck, tractor cab, truck cab, tractor rig, truck rig or big rig or simply a tractor, truck, semi or rig) is a characteristical ...
s on
road racing
Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...
or
oval track
Oval track racing is a form of closed-circuit motorsport that is contested on an oval-shaped race track. An oval track differs from a road course in that the layout resembles an oval with turns in only one direction, and the direction of traff ...
circuits.
History
The sport started in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
at the
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly known Atlanta International Raceway from 1960 to 1990) is a 1.54-mile entertainment facility in Hampton, Georgia, United States, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has annually hosted NASCAR Cup Series ...
on June 17, 1979 and was the opening scene in the movie ''
Smokey and the Bandit II
''Smokey and the Bandit II'' is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason and Dom DeLuise. The film is the sequel to the 1977 film ''Smokey and the Bandit''.
T ...
''.
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 from
touring car racing
Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition with heavily modified road-going cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States.
While the cars do not move ...
, race trucks look like their road-going counterparts and conform to regulations to ensure that major components used are the same.
North America
United States
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 at
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway (formerly Pocono International Raceway), also known as ''The Tricky Triangle'', is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. It is the site of three NASCAR national series races and an ARCA M ...
, and the closed course record of 132 mph (212 km/h) was set in qualifying at
Texas World Speedway
Texas World Speedway (TWS) was a motorsport venue located in College Station, Texas.The track was one of only eight superspeedways of or greater in the United States used for racing, the others being Indianapolis, Daytona, Pocono, Talladega, ...
by
Charlie Baker
Charles Duane Baker Jr. (born November 13, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 72nd governor of Massachusetts since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Baker was a cabinet official under two governors of Massach ...
on 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.
The
Bandit Big Rig Series debuted 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 tracks
Hickory Motor Speedway
Hickory Motor Speedway is a short track located in Hickory, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most storied venues, and is often referred to as the "World's Most Famous Short Track" and the "Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars".
The tr ...
and
Greenville-Pickens Speedway
Greenville-Pickens Speedway is a race track located in Easley, South Carolina, just west of Greenville, South Carolina. The track hosted weekly NASCAR sanctioned races. Several NASCAR touring series have raced at the track in prior years, includi ...
included on the schedule.
Mexico
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 winner
Michel Jourdain Jr.
Michel Jourdain Lascurain, better known as Michel Jourdain Jr. (born September 2, 1976), is a Mexican racecar driver, best known for winning two Champ Car races in 2003. He is the 2020 Super Copa GTM Champion.
Formula racing
Jourdain started rac ...
, former F1 driver
Allen Berg
Allen Bernard Berg (born August 1, 1961) is a Canadian former racing driver who raced for the Osella team in Formula One.
Racing career
Berg was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He began in karting in 1978 and switched to cars when he was 20 ...
,
Indy 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianap ...
Rookie of the year
Bernard Jourdain
Bernard Jourdain (born August 16, 1950 in Brussels) is a Belgian born Mexican racing driver. Jourdain is the uncle of racer Michel Jourdain Jr., and a pivotal figure in Michel Jr.’s progression from novice to Champ Car race winner. Now retired ...
, the late
Carlos Pardo
Carlos Alberto Pardo Estévez (September 15, 1975 – June 14, 2009) was a Mexican stock car racing driver from Mexico City. He was the first driver to win the NASCAR Mexico Corona Series championship.
Career
Pardo won 10 of his 74 NASCAR Mexi ...
,
Rubén Pardo,
Jorge Goeters
Jorge Goeters (born June 26, 1970) is a Mexican racecar driver.
At the present time, Goeters competes full-time in the NASCAR Mexico Series in Mexico. In the past few years he also competed at the international level on a limited basis, running ...
,
Carlos Contreras,
Abraham Calderón
Abraham Calderón (born November 25, 1988) is a Mexican racecar driver from Monterrey. He currently drives the No. 2 ARRIS Toyota in the NASCAR Mexico Series. In 2014 he won the Toyota Series championship; previously he had already won the 2006 ...
and
Jimmy Morales
Jimmy Morales (born James Ernesto Morales Cabrera, ; 18 March 1969) is a Guatemalan politician, actor and comedian. From 2016 to 2020, he served as the 50th president of Guatemala.
Early and personal life
Morales was born in Guatemala City ...
among others.
Europe
The
FIA European Truck Racing Championship
The FIA European Truck Racing Championship is a motorsport Truck racing, truck road racing series for tractor unit, semi-tractors which is sanctioned to the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and is organised by ETRA Promotion GmbH.
C ...
was created in 1985.
Britain
In Britain, in the last few years the profile of truck racing has increased, and currently over 30 teams regularly compete. The sporting regulations came under the control of the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; en, International Automobile Federation) is an association established on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users. It is the governing body for ...
(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 the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
is the British Truck Racing Association founded in 1984. The British Championships and race events are organised by the
British Automobile Racing Club
The British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) is one of the biggest organising clubs for auto racing in the United Kingdom.
History
The Cyclecar Club was formed in 1912, running races for the small and light motorbike powered vehicles at Brooklands ...
.
South America
Brazil
In Brazil, the
Fórmula Truck
Fórmula Truck is a Brazilian Truck racing series. It ran from 1996 to 2017, when it folded and was reorganized into the Copa Truck. However, the series returned to its original name and format in 2021.
History
The idea for the racing series ...
had been held between 1996 and 2017 when the series was folded in May 2017 (after only 3 races that year). It featured several factory teams. Starting in 2017, it was created the
Copa Truck
The Copa Truck is a Brazilian auto racing series, composed of trucks prepared for race. The category replaces the Fórmula Truck series in 2017.
History
The origin of the category came after nine teams left Formula Truck because of disagreement ...
replacing the former Formula Truck, almost every driver and factory teams of the former series entered in Copa Truck.
Asia
India
T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship is a truck racing championship in India by
Tata Motors
Tata Motors Limited is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturing company, headquartered in Mumbai, India, which is part of the Tata Group. The company produces passenger cars, trucks, vans, coaches, buses.
Formerly known as Tata En ...
. 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
Trucks also are very popular in rally raid as a separate category (
Group T5
In relation to motorsport, Group T5 is a set of technical specifications for prototype cross-country trucks used in off-road Cross-Country Rallying (also called Rally Raid). The group is governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ...
) for example in
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal, ...
and others rally raids.
In France, trucks are very common in different types of off-road racing, like the ''camion cross'' (trucks cross in English), similar to
rallycross but with trucks instead. Also in Europe is the
Trial camion, (truck trials), like
Motorcycle trials
Motorcycle trials, also known as observed trials, often called simply trial/s (with or without the plural "s"), is a non-speed event on specialized motorcycles. The sport is most popular in the United Kingdom and Spain, though there are participan ...
but with trucks.
File:DakarRallyTrucks10.jpg, Kamaz 4326 modified for Dakar Rally
File:Kerlabo_056.jpg, Coupe de France de camion cross at Kerlabo
File:Tatra 813 truck trial voitsberg 2010.jpg, Truck trials in Austria
Race truck manufacturers
*
Edwin Foden, Sons & Co.
*
ERF
Erf or ERF may refer to:
Industry
* Enerplus, a North American energy producer whose stock is listed as ERF under the TSX and NYSE
* ERF (truck manufacturer), a former British truck manufacturer
Mathematics
* Error function, erf
* Exponential ...
*
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
*
Freightliner Trucks
Freightliner Trucks is a US semi truck manufacturer. Founded in 1929 as the truck-manufacturing division of Consolidated Freightways (from which it derives its name), the company was established in 1942 as Freightliner Corporation. Owned by Dai ...
*
Hino Motors
Hino Motors, Ltd., commonly known as Hino, is a Japanese manufacturer of commercial vehicles and diesel engines (including those for trucks, buses and other vehicles) headquartered in Hino, Tokyo. The company was established in 1942 as a corpora ...
*
Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company, often abbreviated to Hyundai Motors ( )
and commonly known as Hyundai (, ; ), is a South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, and founded in 1967. Currently, the company o ...
*
Iveco
IVECO, an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation, is an Italian multinational transport vehicle manufacturing company. It designs and builds light, medium, and heavy commercial vehicles. The name IVECO first appeared in 1975 after a merger o ...
*
Kamaz
*
KrAZ
KrAZ ( uk, Кременчуцький автомобільний завод, ''Kremenchutskyi Avtomobilnyi Zavod'', Kremenchuk Automobile Plant, АвтоКрА́З or AvtoKrAZ) is a Ukrainian factory that produces trucks and other special-purpos ...
*
Mack
*
MAN SE
MAN SE (abbreviation of ''Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg'', ) was a manufacturing and engineering company based in Munich, Germany. Its primary output was commercial vehicles and diesel engines through its MAN Truck & Bus and MAN Latin Ame ...
*
MAZ
Maz or MAZ may refer to:
* IATA code for Eugenio María de Hostos Airport, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
* Minsk Automobile Plant, abbreviated in Belarusian as MAZ
* Myc-associated zinc finger protein, a protein encoded by the ''MAZ'' gene
* Maz, a vill ...
*
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
*
Renault Trucks
Renault Trucks is a French commercial truck manufacturer with corporate headquarters at Saint-Priest near Lyon. Originally part of Renault, it has been a subsidiary of the Volvo Group since 2001.
From its beginnings in 1978 to 2002, the comp ...
*
Scammell
Scammell Lorries Limited was a British manufacturer of trucks, particularly specialist and military off-highway vehicles, between 1921 and 1988.
History
Scammell started as a late- Victorian period wheelwright and coach-building business, G Sc ...
*
Scania AB
Scania AB is a major Swedish manufacturer headquartered in Södertälje, focusing on commercial vehicles—specifically heavy lorries, trucks and buses. It also manufactures diesel engines for heavy vehicles as well as marine and general indus ...
*
Seddon Atkinson
Seddon Atkinson Vehicles Limited, a manufacturer of large goods vehicles based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, was formed after the acquisition in 1970 of Atkinson Vehicles Limited of Preston by Seddon Diesel Vehicles Limited of Oldh ...
*
Sisu Auto
Sisu Auto is a truck manufacturer based in Raseborg, Finland. Its name comes from the Finnish word ''sisu'' meaning guts, grit and determination.
Sisu Auto has a subsidiary company, "Sisu Defence", producing high mobility tactical vehicles for ...
*
Tata Motors
Tata Motors Limited is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturing company, headquartered in Mumbai, India, which is part of the Tata Group. The company produces passenger cars, trucks, vans, coaches, buses.
Formerly known as Tata En ...
*
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV; german: Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge , abbreviated ''VWN'' ) is a German brand, marque of light commercial vehicles, owned by Volkswagen Group. It is headquartered in Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany. Originall ...
*
Volvo
The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
*
ZiL
OJSC AMO ZiL, known fully as the Public Joint-Stock Company – Likhachov Plant () and more commonly called ZiL (, was a major Russian automobile, truck, military vehicle, and heavy equipment manufacturer that was based in Moscow, Russia.
The la ...
See also
*
Monster truck
A monster truck is a specialized off-road vehicle with a heavy duty suspension, four-wheel steering, large-displacement V8 engines and oversized tires constructed for competition and entertainment uses. Originally created by modifying stock pic ...
*
Fórmula Truck
Fórmula Truck is a Brazilian Truck racing series. It ran from 1996 to 2017, when it folded and was reorganized into the Copa Truck. However, the series returned to its original name and format in 2021.
History
The idea for the racing series ...
*
Copa Truck
The Copa Truck is a Brazilian auto racing series, composed of trucks prepared for race. The category replaces the Fórmula Truck series in 2017.
History
The origin of the category came after nine teams left Formula Truck because of disagreement ...
*
T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship
References
External links
British Truck Racing Association websiteBandit Big Rig Series website
{{Authority control
Auto racing by type
Sports originating in the United States