Giti Tire truck racing driver Martin Gibson recently shared some of his insights about his experience and excitement with Giti truck racing, as well as about the sport in general. Gibson and the Giti motorsports team are ready to return to the track for an action-packed 2nd half of 2020.

How did you start with truck racing?

I kind of fell into it. When I became aware that Giti produced a truck race tire for Australia, I thought we have to introduce this to Europe. We hired 2 race trucks from Team Oliver as a demo on a dealer event in Valencia. One of the drivers couldn’t attend the event, so I volunteered to drive in his place. I got on well with the team and the truck so this led to an offer to race the truck the following year. It was a crazy opportunity that I couldn’t miss out on. 

What do you do for preparation if you have a truck race coming up?

It’s quite different to car racing in that there are very limited chances to test the truck before an event. You can’t simply book into a mid-week test session and join in with the cars, because you are likely to flatten them. Most of the tracks I know from car or bike racing already so I just have to adapt to the truck. In my first season I was literally thrown into the deep end and straight into a race weekend. This year with a new truck, more preparation and more experience, I feel I have a fighting chance at the podium top step!

What was the best moment in your truck race career so far?

It was a good feeling to beat Stuart Oliver (Team Mate) in Zolder, but it was a reverse grid so not a true out the gate victory over him. His days are numbered however now I will be in a more competitive truck! Taking part in the Nurburgring Truck GP was also amazing. I was disqualified in qualifying for exhaust smoke, which started me in 26th place. I had so much fun getting up to 6th place before the end of the race. 

What do you feel during the truck race, what is going on in your mind?

To be honest, when I first started I was just thinking “Why the hell am I doing this!”. Generally though, you soon forget you’re in a big truck and you just focus on trying to go fast and stay out of trouble. My season was hampered by persistent reliability issues, so my focus turned to getting the truck through the race. Going forward this is should no longer be a concern.   

Do you think truck race is underrated in Europe and if yes, why do you think it’s like that?

Yes definitely. Car racing is generally followed by car enthusiasts, but truck racing isn’t just motorsport, it’s a spectacle. For example during a race weekend at the major events you have live music, huge firework displays, circus tents, monster trucks, etc. In addition to this, there is often a big crash or two, and everyone secretly enjoys that!

Martin Gibson will be taking part in truck motorsports racing in Europe during this August-October. Click here to see the full schedule of events.

About Giti Tire

Giti Tire (headquartered in Singapore) has roots in the tire business going back to 1951 and is now one of the world’s largest tire companies. Giti Tire produces a broad range of tire products, serving major original equipment vehicle manufacturers, auto-service outlets, motorsports teams, tire dealers, and consumers in more than 130 countries worldwide. The company has eight production centers in three countries, including a newly opened tire factory in South Carolina, USA.

In addition to its wide network and motorsports presence, Giti Tire is also heavily focused on green production and community efforts, including participation in local education and environmental efforts to create a better society.

Find out more at www.giti.com