THE RENAULT TRUCKS-MKR TECHNOLOGY TEAM DEFENDS ITS CROWN

Transcription

1 CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT P R E S S F I L E Lyon / May 2013 THE RENAULT TRUCKS-MKR TECHNOLOGY TEAM DEFENDS ITS CROWN One aspect of the close relationship Renault Trucks has with its customers and drivers is the passion for trucks it shares with them. Fully committed to the sport of Truck Racing since 2007, the manufacturer reaches the highest steps on the European Team Championship podium in association with MKR technology: European Champion in 2010, Championship runner-up in 2011 and once again European Champion in For the past two years, Renault Trucks has supplied its partner with its engine technology and assistance during the races. Standing out with its impressively original and sharp design created by the Renault Trucks Halle du Design, the Premium Racing demonstrated that it was also one of the best performing vehicles in the competition. In the course of these recent seasons, the manufacturer has been able to share its passion and enthusiasm with its customers and the general public via the Truck Racing by Renault Trucks videogame, which can be downloaded free of charge on the A free version of this game for smartphones and ipad is also available. Renault Trucks has been a major competitor in truck racing since This commitment enables Renault Trucks to combine passion, competitive spirit and high technology. Extremely popular in the world of trucks, Truck Racing allows the manufacturer to enhance its image among members of the general public and build strong ties with its customers. Season after season, spectators' enthusiasm for truck races during the FIA European championship never flags. 500,000 of them attended events at the tracks in This enthusiasm can also be found on Internet. The site will be featuring videos which will also be posted on video sharing sites such as YouTube or Dailymotion after each championship event. Fans with a Twitter account will also be able to sign up to the official This technological showcase enables the manufacturer's subsidiaries to use Truck Racing events every year to invite their customers and highlight their products and services. In 2012, Renault Trucks invited 16,500 customers to experience the excitement of the races at the trackside. TER A , route de Lyon Saint-Priest Cedex Fax : +33 (0) RENAULT TRUCKS SAS Capital de Euros Siège social : 99, route de Lyon SAINT-PRIEST siret : RCS Lyon B

2 Renault Trucks Racing Renault Trucks' involvement as an engine manufacturer in the European Championships since 2007 reflects its commitment to Truck Racing. In 2010, the French truck manufacturer decided to create its own Renault Trucks Racing brand identity in line with its Renault Trucks Deliver corporate claim. Renault Trucks maintains a high profile in the paddocks with its dedicated assistance semi-trailer. This Renault Trucks Racing semi-trailer, pulled by a Magnum, is divided into two areas. One is a storage zone for engines and spare parts, while the other is fitted out as an office for the Renault Trucks engine engineers. These specialists are on hand to constantly analyse the way the engines perform throughout these racing weekends. Between the trial sessions, they provide the adjustments necessary to optimise the trucks' performance according to lap times, drivers' impressions, track profile and weather conditions. The experience gained by racing is a unique opportunity for the brand's engineers. For this laboratory, the most exacting imaginable, is able to provide the most significant developments which subsequently result in very real benefits for customers operating their production vehicles. Renault Trucks, the MKR Technology Team's main partner Renault Trucks achieved the objectives it set itself by winning the European Team Championship crown in partnership with the MKR Technology team in 2010 and This team is managed by Mario Kress, a well-known specialist in the discipline (with 10 European titles to his credit during the last 12 years) and consists of experienced Truck Racing professionals. This season it will be fielding two trucks entrusted to drivers with impressive track records: the Czech Adam Lacko and the Swiss Markus Bösiger. In addition to the racing engines, Renault Trucks is also supplying the Team's logistic vehicles: two Magnums to serve as a motor-home and a workshop as well as a Premium Long Distance Truck Racing special edition which will be used to carry the three racing vehicles. Since 2011, Renault Trucks is fully asserting its role as a supplier of racing engines, since Renault Trucks is supplying a DXi 13 "customer" engine to Team 14, an amateur team made up of current or former staff members of the Renault Trucks Blainville production plant (Calvados, France), as well as to the Belgian BJP Racing team.

3 The drivers: Adam Lacko - Like many drivers, Adam Lacko began his career on karts and then promotion formulas (Ford Fiesta Skoda Octavia cup, etc.). While taking part in these events in 2001, and also the following year, he tested the Tatra Jamal racing truck and got bitten by the truck bug. In 2003, he took part in his first European Truck Racing Championship, finishing 5 th at the wheel of a Tatra. He continued during the next few years with Man and Buggyra before following a career in GT racing Championships. He came back to the European Truck Racing Championship in 2009 with the Allgäuer Truck Racing Team, and this year will again be defending the Renault Trucks-MKR Technology colours, wearing the number 3. Markus Bösiger - "I've got fuel in my veins!" That's how Swiss driver Markus Bösiger likes to describe himself and the passion he has built up for motor sports. Over a ten-year period, this future champion went through several motorbike and sidecar combinations while riding in international championships - and picked up several trophies in the process. It was in 1999 that he turned towards racing 1,100 hp trucks - and very soon started winning some of the events he entered. Then in 2007, Markus Bösiger came into the spotlight by winning the Truck Racing European crown. The next year he came in behind his team mate at the time, David Vrsecky, European vice champion, finishing the season in 4 th position. In 2010, despite having decided to end his career the previous year, Markus Bösiger chose to make a comeback. He took up an invitation issued by Mario Kress who was founding a new truck racing stable - the MKR Technology team. Renault Trucks then came on board as the engine builder for this young team. At the end of the first season, Markus Bösiger carried off the European truck racing vice championship title. This year, he will be wearing the number 6. The Renault Premium Racing The design of the two Premium Racing trucks driven by the MKR-Technology Team has been entirely conceived and developed by the Halle du Design, a specialised unit owned by Renault Trucks. These two vehicles are fitted with Renault DXi13 Racing engines developed by Renault Trucks for this racing version. During these last two years, the reliable, high performance DXi13 Racing engine was among the best of the bunch. Let us not forget that these outstanding trucks develop 1,160 hp with a torque of 5,600 Nm and have a maximum engine speed of 2,600 rpm. These bombshells are able to go from 60 km an hour to 160 km hour in under 7 seconds. "We have optimised the useful range of our DXi 13 Racing engine and carried out significant work on the camshaft, injection and electronic controls which will further improve our performance, particularly with regard to pick up at low engine speeds," explains Gérard Pétraz, Renault Trucks Racing's technical director. "We have also reduced the engine's internal friction, which improves its overall yield, by applying solutions used in the Euro VI engines equipping the new Renault Trucks range."

4 Truck Racing by Renault Trucks, the videogame designed to spread the passion for trucks Always striving to build closer relationships with its customers by employing increasingly innovative communications techniques, Renault Trucks designed truck racing simulators to be set up at the trackside during Grand Prix events. Building on the considerable success these enjoyed, Renault Trucks launched the PC version of this impressively realistic videogame which is available as a free download from Internet ( as well as versions for smartphones and ipad. Truck Racing by Renault Trucks is inspired by the performance of actual Renault Premium Racing trucks. Heading down the track at 160 km/h (the maximum speed authorised by the FIA), sliding on the turns, cutting on the inside, overtaking on the right, etc. With its three levels of difficulty, everyone can enjoy testing their skills. And those who really feel they have a future in truck racing can select the "pro" mode and remove the ESP, ABS and ASR so they can shift gears manually! Players have the choice of four different tracks, can personalise their truck by changing its colour or decal stickers and take part in networked competitions via Internet with their friends (up to 16 contestants). Having recorded more than 1 million PC version downloads since its launch, Truck Racing by Renault Trucks has become the most sophisticated and exciting truck racing game ever produced. It is available for free download at The iphone and ipad versions have also been hugely successful with more than downloads for the iphone, ipad and Google Play version. An Internet site with even greater interactivity The site is available via smartphone. Every racing weekend, tweets will be published offering live coverage of Renault Trucks Racing on the track and in the stands. Fans with a Twitter account will also be able to sign up to the official

5 The 2013 season calendar Dates Towns Countries 18/19 May Misano Italy 1/2 June Navarra Spain 15/16 June Nogaro France 6/7 July Spielberg Autriche 13/14 July Nürburgring Germany 27/28 July Smolensk Russia 31 Agust / 1 september Most Czech Republic 21/22 September Zolder Belgium 5/6 october Jarama Spain 12/13 October Le Mans France Further information is available from: Séveryne Molard Tel.: +33 (0) severyne.molard@renault-trucks.com Dorothée Picaud-Aznar Tel.: +33 (0) dorothee.picaud.aznar@renault-trucks.com Fabrice Piombo Tel.: + 33 (0) fabrice.piombo@renault-trucks.com