Trucks, Minis & MG’s Flat Out At Thruxton…

Motorsport has always been about pushing the limits of motor vehicles…

Be it balanced precariously on two wheels relying on a knees (and now elbows !) to judge lean angles as they scrape the tarmac through corners, or stuck to the ground with futuristic aerodynamics. Somewhere in the middle of this, a group of guys and girls get their kicks from blasting around tracks across the UK and Europe in Trucks – the ones you usually see pulling a trailer filled with this week’s shopping on it’s way to Tesco, or with tomorrow’s post on it’s way to a sorting centre, – the British Truck Racing Championship.

Apart from the sound and vision, truck racing also sets itself apart by a distinct cloud of diesel fumes, and smoking brakes from the massive amounts of energy needed to try slow down a truck pushing 100mph. Somehow the drivers still throw these monstrous vehicles around like a touring car, trading paint, tearing body panels off and ending up spinning into tire barriers. One race ended before it had event started, with a pile-up during the rolling start – 2 trucks are enough to completely block the track.

Supporting the trucks was an unlikely cast of the Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship, with MG cars from all eras on track. The Carbon8 Hyundai Coupe Cup provides a very cheap entry level racing series, with cars costing as little as £500 and not differing much from their road-going siblings an easy car to get to grips with whilst learning the basics of race craft. Also out on track the Kumho BMW Championship…

Finally, what could easily be the “co-main event”, Minis. Seeing 40 Minis taking chunks out of each other, racing in packs of 10 cars, bouncing around on two wheels at points on the high-speed Thruxton circuit, and finally ending their first race short with a car on it’s roof is nothing short of spectacular, the David to the Goliath that are the Trucks, but just as exciting out on track.

Trucks are yet another unique facet of the British Motorsport scene, and one that is well worth supporting for a day of crazy on track action.

Full results and timing info can be found here.