Apollo Tyres signs two-year truck racing sponsorship deal with Germany’s SL Trucksport 30

Following two successful years in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship (FIA ETRC) with TOR Truck Racing, Apollo Tyres has signed a new two-year lead sponsorship deal with SL Trucksport 30.

The new team, which will be named SL Apollo Tyres Trucksport, will compete in the 2023 season with a brand-new MAN TGS 2022 truck, wrapped in Apollo Tyres branding and instantly-recognisable purple colouring.

35-year-old Sascha Lenz will remain in the driving seat for the SL Truck Team, bringing over seven years of truck racing experience. Lenz started his truck racing career in 2015; since then, the German racer achieved first place in the FIA ETRC’s Young Gun Award in 2017, was runner-up in the Driver’s Championship Series in 2021, and finished third in this year’s Driver’s Championship Series in the premier truck racing formula.

“We’re very proud to welcome Apollo Tyres to the SL Trucksport family and we’re already looking forward to another successful season,” says Lenz. “With the new commitment from Apollo Tyres in place, our aims for 2023 are simple: to finish first in both the driver and constructors’ championships.”

Benoit Rivallant, President and CEO of Apollo Tyres Europe, adds: “We’re incredibly excited to build on a successful presence for Apollo Tyres in the FIA ETRC championship. This new sponsorship agreement will help us further boost brand awareness across Europe, our fast-growing region for truck and bus tyre sales.”

In addition to a fixed two-year sponsorship agreement, Apollo Tyres will have the option of year-by-year contract extensions based on mutual agreement and overall team performance.

Apollo Tyres Tor Truck Racing signs off

In October, Apollo Tyres announced the end of its three-year partnership with Tor Truck Racing, coinciding with the retirement of the team’s lead driver, Shane Brereton, from the FIA ETRC. After seven years involved in truck racing, Brereton has stepped down to spend more time with his family and concentrate on his business. The FIA European Truck Racing Championship has been described as “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 Championship is also taking steps towards enhanced sustainability – for example, all trucks that compete are powered by 100 per cent 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.