Thrilling motorsport and an entertaining mix of music, trade fair and festival - that's what visitors can look forward to at the 37th edition of the International ADAC Truck Grand Prix, which will take place at the Nürburgring from July 11 to 14, 2024.
For almost four decades, the Eifel has been dominated by truck racing in July. There is a good reason for this success story, because hardly any other motorsport event promises the public so much variety. Whether truck race fan, festival fan or trade fair visitor - there is something for everyone.
"The ADAC Truck Grand Prix stands for motorsport and entertainment, but also for sustainability and innovation. Preparations are in full swing and we are looking forward to welcoming numerous visitors from Germany and abroad," says Jörg Hennig, Sports Director at ADAC Mittelrhein e.V. The organizers are expecting a total of around 130,000 fans at the Nürburgring over the event days.
1000 hp race trucks meet super sports cars
The focus of the sporting part of the event will be the races of the Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC). This is where the best truck racers in Europe compete, including top German drivers Jochen Hahn and Sascha Lenz, who are in second and fourth place in the overall standings after three rounds of the season behind last year's European champion Norbert Kiss.
In the Mittelrhein Cup, fans can look forward to the race trucks of the Dutch Truck Racing series. Also back at the Ring: the ADAC GT Masters, which will be staging the third of a total of six race weekends at the Nürburgring after its successful comeback last year as part of the ADAC Truck Grand Prix.
Super sports cars from manufacturers such as Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche and McLaren, with 550 hp and a top speed of 250 km/h at the Nürburgring, will meet race trucks with more than 1,000 hp.
As different as the performance is, as sustainable is the fuel: both racing series rely on alternative energies such as hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) for the race trucks, which can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90 percent.
Commercial vehicle trade fair: Europe's leading truck manufacturers on site
While people are competing for points and trophies on the race track, one of the largest industry trade fairs in the commercial vehicle sector is taking place in the infield. On around 10,000 square meters, national and international truck manufacturers, suppliers and freight forwarders present themselves to the public. This year, six of Europe's leading truck manufacturers - Daimler Truck, Ford Truck, Iveco, MAN, Renault Truck and Scania - will be on site.
Sustainability is part of the DNA of truck racing
European truck racing has long been committed to sustainability in its activities. Since 2021, all race trucks have been powered by 100 percent sustainable HVO, with Iveco's pace trucks running on LNG.
Since 2023, the technical regulations have also permitted fully electric and hybrid powertrains in addition to the current generation of race trucks with combustion engines. This puts the championship in a unique position to drive innovation forward. At this year's ADAC Truck Grand Prix, for example, an official FIA working group will focus on hydrogen as a drive technology.
"Our mission is to establish the Goodyear FIA ETRC as the leading platform for the promotion of sustainable practices and technologies. The championship is open to all types of technologies and hydrogen can be another sustainable solution on our grid in the future," says Georg Fuchs, Managing Director of ETRA Promotion GmbH.
The topic of sustainability will also be on the agenda at the 17th ADAC/TÜV Rheinland Truck Symposium on Friday, July 12. This year, high-ranking experts from politics and business will be discussing the topic of 'Climate-friendly logistics in the area of conflict between tolls and technical challenges'.
Another topic that affects the entire economy is the shortage of skilled workers. To this end, ADAC Mittelrhein e.V. and SVG Rheinland eG are organizing the ADAC Truck Grand Prix Job Expo for the third time, bringing together people interested in careers with future employers in the ring°boulevard.
Fun and entertainment for the whole family
There will be a varied supporting program for the whole family throughout the race weekend: from the trucker parade to the fan village and trucker camp to the children's area, where there will be duck rodeos, bouncy castles and a traffic promotion for children. Visitors can also look forward to the TGP Adventure Quest, an interactive scavenger hunt with great prizes.
Festival tickets available for Friday and Saturday
A new feature this year: for the first time, festival-only tickets are also available for the country evening on Friday (July 12) and the party evening on Saturday (July 13).
On Friday, old master Tom Astor will be the musical highlight of a fantastic country evening, while Saturday promises another exuberant party atmosphere in the Müllenbachschleife after last year's great success. Isi Glück and Peter Wackel, among others, will provide a party evening that ends with a brilliant firework display.