Truck-Racing: really somethin' else

Driving a truck isn't easy. Racing one is something out of his world. It takes skill, experience and all your cool. The EVS team is not only famous in Malta but in many other countries throughout the world. EVS Manager Jonathan Vella speaks to RAY ABDILLA about this Maltese phenomenon.

You're into dragracing with a difference. How different?

Basically the EVS Racing Team is synonymous with truck dragracing. We run the quarter mile drag strip not with a car but yes, with a 4.25-ton truck. Our vehicle is equipped with the latest data collection system which enables us to understand what is happening during the run. All 12 seconds of it.

How long have you been in such a sport?

My brother Noel is our main driver and he also the pioneer of this sport. Truck racing started in 1997 with the participation of almost 30 standard trucks. The everyday trucks used for the race needed some modifications in the fuel pump to improve diesel injection in the engine for better response on turbo boost. Growing interest in the event meant that a dedicated race track was built. In 1998 EVS entered the first ERF super-modified chassis equipped with an N14 Cummins engine. The times achieved were not at all satisfactory since our competitors were running well under 15 seconds and we were not. By December 1998, EVS Racing team was registered as a limited liability company and a contract was signed between a Finnish company called DRT Diesel Engineering owned by the specialist Cummins engine developer and engineer Mr. Timo Korhonnen. A new engine, the M11 race modified was bought from Finland. In the first dragracing event held in 1999, the EVS racing team snatched the first National record of the quarter mile race at 12.8 seconds. This was the first truck ever to go under the 13 seconds mark Today we still hold the national record of 11.72 seconds.

We all know that the Maltese, such as Elbros and Mr Whippy did Malta proud when they took part in big competitions. What are your comments?

Simply that we have the potential We know that teams such as Elbros and Mr. Whippy have been great ambassadors for Malta. Unfortunately government doesn't recognize this. Mind you I still believe that Ira Losco did very well in the Eurovision but let's face it, these dragster teams were competing with big sharks and still they succeeded everywhere they went!

Tell us something about your truck.

Basically our vehicle is a supermodified Sisu cabin truck which was built purposely for drag racing. It weighs almost 4.3 tons and it has its chassis made of special steel made in Finland. It is equipped with a DRT - Cummins M11 engine having a power output of almost 1600 bhp and it reaches 5500 Nm of torque at 2800 rpm. This truck is also equipped with a data logging system called Motec. Basically this system collects all data which we require onto a laptop and therefore we easily identify the weak points and also what to adjust. One has to understand that in less than a 12 seconds run nearly nothing can be studied just by human element since things tends to be run so fast that it is virtually impossible.

Obviously we also use specially made slick rear tyres and front Continental race trims.

How much money does one need to try truck dragracing?

Money; the more you have the more you spend. Our company does have a yearly budget which is supplied by our main sponsors i.e. Express Trailers Limited and Emmanuel Vella & Sons Limited. The initial investment on such a project was really high but we are now stabilizing our expenditure. The development expenditure is much higher than the running expenditure and this can be easily understood since our engineers have developed an engine which can still have a power output 4 times as much as its standard rate and still be reliable.

How popular is dragracing in Malta?

Our association is one of the largest of its kind. Unfortunately little is done to market such a sport and this is also a handicap for our association. Dragracing can be really popular but only with the proper organisation. On the day that EVS Racing has started its venture, we immediately wanted to boost our popularity so we decided to put up a marketing department. Our web page www.evsracing.com has helped a lot to update our followers with the latest team news and so it went !

What is the difference between car racing and truck racing?

Very good question ! They both carry their workload and preparation but the difference lies in the mobility of the vehicle. A car can easily be transported on a semi trailer but a truck like the one we have, needs an adequate trailer to get around. Apart from that, the set up is lot different but keeping same basic concepts i.e. the chassis would be much stronger in a truck but still having the same requirements as that of car.

You have several mechanics helping you around. How do they co-ordinate and are they all mechanics by profession?

Seven dedicated people make up the team. Starting with my brother Noel who is also the driver and chief mechanic. There's Franco, Joseph, and Jimmy who are responsible for the set-up, bodywork, cleaning and also act as assistants to the chief mechanic. There is also Mark and Mario who are the safety crew. I'm the administrator, normally called team manager !

I've heard that The September 11 New York disaster also touched the EVS racing team. Is it true?

Don't remind me !That day our mobile home along with the truck was already in the States awaiting our arrival. On the 15th of September our truck was due to compete in a Cummins competition. It was Cummins' 25th anniversary for their metropolitan engines. It had been planned to be one of the best ventures ever made by a Maltese team overseas. The 11th September disaster wrecked all our plans which had been a year in the making.

Have you taken part in other foreign competitions?

No, but ours was the only Maltese truck to be invited at the Good Wood Festival of Speed last year. it was also exhibited in the Alastero track in Finland and again this year we participated in the Annual Truck Fest in Peterborough.

What is your best-recorded time?

Our best time was achieved during a test run so nothing official but our timing system registered a magnificent 11.6 seconds.

Obviously once in a while you have to modify your truck. Did you do it this year and what sort of modification was needed?

At EVS development is a constant process so performance modifications are routine, a part of the game.

How is your relationship with your competitors?

Competitors are few, therefore our relationship with all of them are very good. At the racetrack we help one another out with parts etc. whenever we can.

Do you find it hard to find new sponsors?

Extremely hard! Firms in Malta haven't yet recognised the growth rate of this sport - and are unwilling to sponsor with substantial fees. We are very disappointed that publicly owned firms related to tourism haven't helped out especially since we plan on five trips to countriesin Europe and America.

What do you think about the media? Are you happy with the coverage?

Newspaper coverage isn't all that bad, but only one paper seems to be consistent - the rest of the media editors seem to be very uninterested in the sport. TV and radio coverage is disastrous.

Do you think there's a need for a better PR by the dragracing Association and do you think that a truck magazine is needed to boost your sport?

A better PR by the MDRA would be of great aid to all participants and so would a magazine that can be freely circulated with Sunday papers every now and again.

Where do you get the spare parts you need?

We usually buy them from Finland (DRT) but since Cummins Inc. has become one of our technical partners they are presently supplying us with parts themselves.