Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Italy

Start date: 20 May 2023 - End date: 21 May 2023

Location: Italy

2023 Season

ROUND 1

A great first weekend and debut to the Championship. It went well with two top ten finishes.

We travelled from the UK the week before with the new paddock set up already for action that saw Mark out on the 2.525 mile and 16 corners of the Italian tarmac early on Saturday morning for two free practice sessions. He finished the first session in P12, 7^th spot later in session 2. The qualifying session followed, we were flying and saw Mark finish in 7^th spot and take a place in the Super Pole.

Race One: We lined up in 8th on the grid, a wet race lie ahead, a start under yellow waved flags due to bad weather conditions saw the #81 draw to a halt, just after passing the first lap marker, one of the steering components failed and Mark managing to control the truck and get it to a safe point on track.

Race Two: Horrendous conditions faced the drivers, the team started at the back of the grid due to not finishing race one, Mark battled his way through the traffic in a terrific race to see him take the chequered flag in P9.

Race Three: We lined up on the grid in 11^th spot and as the pace truck peeled off, by lap 3 Mark was in P10, the race saw him making places and dropping a few but he showed his ability to keep up with the leading pack and finished same as where he started in P11.

Race Four: Last race of the weekend saw Mark line up in 11^th place, by the end of lap one he was in P10 and by lap three was in 8^th spot. Mark remained there until a mistake on lap seven saw space for Sascha Lenz to get ahead and a lap later Clemens Hecker to slip past and had settle for a 10^th spot across the line.

Round 1 Misano World Circuit, Italy

Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship. Our weekend looked like this:

Race One – DNF
Race Two – 9th (5th – Promoters Cup)
Race Three – 11th (5th – Promoters Cup)
Race Four – 10th (5th – Promoters Cup)

Driver Comments

“The weekend has been fantastic for me and the team. I found it a learning curve getting used to a new truck, new racing, and new circuits but by the ending of the last race was getting better and faster. We are thoroughly looking forward now to the next round in Slovakia, we have come away from Misano with some points and hope to carry on where we left off”.

We leave Italy with the following championship points in total: