Captured at rest by our intrepid reporter during a “race-fan day” held mid-week at Meritor’s Cameri axle manufacturing and engineering facility in northern Italy is a pair of high-powered European race trucks. These and other heavy-duty racers thrilled employees and their families throughout the sunny afternoon with their fairly high-speed runs around the Cameri campus.
It was all a prelude to the upcoming weekend’s big event—a European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC) staged a few hours’ drive away at Italy’s Misano racetrack. Each ETRC event is organized over two days, each of which concludes with a pair of “Championship” circuits of 45 km +/- one lap.
Truck racing is a huge draw in Europe, pulling in the kind of family-friendly crowds that one would encounter at state and county fairs in the U.S. Seen firsthand, the races present another side of trucking—one that is both highly competitive and professional. No doubt that positive reflection on the industry is why ETRC and individual race teams are sponsored by major suppliers such as Meritor.
