| TOP NEWS :: Thruxton 2005 :: |
The weekend sunshine attracted large crowds to International Truck Racing. Not only was there a full programme of truck racing but over 200 show trucks were on show with trade stands. Two rounds of the British Truck Racing Association Championship were contested along with the International Truck Challenge.
Saturday
The grid of 16 British Trucks saw Dave Jenkins (SISU), Ross Garrett (Foden), Richard Walker (MAN) and Steve Horne (ERF) in front positions. Jenkins slipped a gear to let Walker through to take the lead at the start. Dave fought to regain the lead with a fastest lap and exciting driving through the chicane but Richard Walker held on to take the race. Ross Garrett took third place with Steve Horne in fourth, chased by Ric Collett (ERF) who overtook Steve briefly but was outpaced by Steve out of the chicane.
Max Dawson took fastest lap in Class B from the back of the grid position, finishing in third place in Class B with Terry Gibbon (Volvo White) in second place. Terry led the Class B field until the last lap when Andrew Hardy (Ford Cargo) snatched the win. Garry George in the Foden didn’t make the grid because of engine problems.
Sunday
Richard Walker in the MAN started off pole to lead the race for the first laps with Dave Jenkins (Sisu) driving the fastest lap of the race and never more than 0.6 of a second behind. Dave grabbed the lead with a quick exit from the chicane to take the race over Richard Walker with Steve Horne’s ERF taking third place over Ross Garrett after the Foden spun and finished in forth place.
Further down the field Class A drivers Paddy McCumisky (Volvo) and Stephen Armstrong (MAN) continued their duel from Saturday. Armstrong was assisted by a target painted on the back of Paddy’s bumper for him to follow!
In Class B Terry Gibbon in the Volvo White took the Class lead after the first lap with the fastest lap only to be overtaken by Andrew Hardy in the Ford Cargo. Terry regained the Class lead on the second last lap.
International Truck Challenge
British race trucks were joined by Five French teams to compete for the International Truck Challenge held over four heats and a final. The French found the competition tough against the FIA prepared trucks of Richard Walker ‘s MAN TG-A, Ross Garrett’s Foden and the Jenkins Team Sisu which was on sparkling form.
Close behind the British three was the French 2004 Champion Pascal Robineau’s red-bonneted MAN Proton followed closely by Christophe Miquel’s Scania L110 Super. This 1969 built monstrous twin turbocharged super truck boomed round the Thruxton circuit
Christophe started third off the grid after qualifying behind Dave Jenkins and Richard Walker but was overtaken in lap 3 by the fastest lap man Ross Garrett who came up from sixth on the grid.
Dave Jenkins started from pole position and held it to the chequered flag despite been chased by Richard Walker throughout the race.
Steve Horne’s immaculate ERF made a surprise exit on lap 5 at Church Corner leaving the circuit at 100 mph through the tyre wall and landing in the trees damaging the front axle. Luckily Steve was unhurt.
David Ball, 26 year old rookie in his first weekend truck racing, did well to finish ahead of two Frenchmen in the ex-Cornel Day Volvo.
The Championship
Steve Horne has seen his lead the Class A group reduced to only 7 points with Dave Jenkins’ magnificent Thruxton performance giving him second place over Mat Summerfield in third. If the Jenkins Team delivers the performance in the last five rounds of the Championship it will be a nail biting finish to the season. However it would be wrong to discount Mat Summerfield (Seddon Atkinson), Ross Garrett (Foden) and Richard Walker (MAN) who have all have proved their trucks have the capability to win in style.
Class B sees Andrew Hardy on 62 points gaining a 12 point lead over Garry George.
© Marion Jones – British Truck Racing Association. This article may be re-printed providing the credit line to the BTRA is printed.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
