SL Apollo Tyres Trucksport’s Sascha Lenz has secured third place in the 2023 Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship (FIA ETRC), following a thrilling final round earlier this month. Securing a podium place across the full season is a stunning outcome for Lenz and his team in their debut season with Apollo Tyres’ backing.
The final race weekend at Circuito del Jarama in Spain was full of excitement, with Lenz maintaining fine form across each of the four keenly fought races. As the series reached its conclusion, Lenz lined up alongside series rival Antonio Albacete to battle for third place in the overall drivers’ championship, eventually passing him with just two laps to go.
Lenz contended the 2023 ETRC series in a brand-new MAN TGS 2022 truck, wrapped in a distinctive purple hue and with prominent Apollo Tyres branding. Over the course of the season, Lenz secured several podium positions, including back-to-back P2 finishes at the Slovakia Ring and Tor Poznan racetrack in Poland, and third place at the Autodromo de Most racetrack in the Czech Republic. Despite experiencing mechanical issues early in the series, the 35-year-old German continued to impress, gathering points in all race weekends.
Lenz also secured third place in the Teams Championship alongside his partner Jaimie Anderson from Anderson Racing. The Teams Championship runs in parallel to the main series and sees each competitor team up with another driver, combining their scores from each race. Under the team name Löwen Power, Lenz and Anderson achieved a total of 478 points.
For his individual performance throughout the 2023 season, Lenz was also honoured with the prestigious Driver’s Driver Award, which is voted for by the other FIA ETRC competitors.
Lenz commented: “An extraordinary collective effort has got us to this point, and I simply couldn’t have done it without the support and dedication of the team, our suppliers and sponsors. While we are taking a moment to celebrate our achievement, we are also looking ahead to the new season in 2024 and are determined to finish even higher in the standings. Apollo Tyres’ backing this year has been invaluable, and it’s been a joy to work with a company so passionate about truck racing and this premium race series.”
John Nikhil Joy, European Cluster TBR Product Director at Apollo Tyres, said: “Throughout this hard-fought season Sascha and his team have impressed us with their relentless determination and skill. The exhilarating races in Spain brought an end to a long and very challenging championship, full of ups and downs, and we’re delighted with how it all finished. It has been very rewarding to help Sascha get the most out of the truck, and we are already looking forward to the start of the new season.
“Our growing partnership with SL Trucksport 30 allows us to showcase Apollo Tyres across Europe, driving positive brand recognition among many thousands of spectators and TV viewers. Our involvement in the ETRC series has become a central pillar in our strategy for participation in performance-focused international sporting events, and we look forward to building on the success we’ve seen this year.”
About the FIA ETRC series
The Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship is one of the most spectacular and challenging motor racing series in the world. The drivers are placed into two categories, Chrome and Titan, reflecting their past racing experience and record of race wins. There is a speed limit of 160 km/h (99mph) and the vehicles must meet a minimum weight of 5,300kg and deliver a maximum of 1,200 hp and 5,000 Nm of torque.
The FIA European Truck Racing Championship is taking steps towards enhanced sustainability – for example, all trucks that compete are powered by 100% renewable HVO-diesel.
Truck racing continues to grow in popularity, and the premier FIA truck racing series has a global online and television audience of 60 million and welcomes around 420,000 spectators.
For more information on SL Apollo Tyres Trucksport, please visit: https://www.goodyearfiaetrc.com/team/sl-apollo-tyres-trucksport
Amsterdam, 26 October 2023
Anicecommunication Media Relations Apollo Tyres & Vredestein Italy
