The British Truck Racing Championship battled the elements this past weekend (September 13-14) as Snetterton played host to a thrilling fifth meeting of the season – one that saw twists and turns play out across both Division 1 and Division 2.
Marking the first leg of an exciting double-header for the UK’s super-sized series, the Norfolk venue and the ever-changing British weather did its best to shake up proceedings at the head of both classes, culminating in highs and lows for a number of contenders.
Division 1 saw Ryan Smith charge to a dominant double on Saturday however his winning streak failed to continue on Sunday as John Bowler, David Jenkins and Michael Oliver each scored a win apiece.
Over in Division 2, engine issues scuppered Bradley Harvey’s chance of extending his points lead as Simon Cole, Jake Evans, Sami Ojanen and for the first time in his truck racing career, Callum Eason, all stood on the top step of the podium.
Title race ramps up in Division 1
Saturday at the Norfolk venue saw nine-time reigning champion Smith underline why he remains the driver to beat in the series’ premier class as he produced a flawless performance in his Daimler Freightliner.
Setting a sublime lap in qualifying to snare the coveted Giti Pole Position Award, the Mansfield racer duly went on to claim a commanding victory in what proved to be an action-packed opening encounter.
Front-row starters Smith and Jenkins were able to enjoy a clean getaway as the lights went out whilst behind them, chaos ensued as the field streamed into the Wilson Hairpin for the first time.
Initial contact between Tom O’Rourke and Richard Collett sparked a chain reaction which resulted in David Smith, Martin Gibson and Steven Powell all sustaining substantial damage. With trucks stranded and debris scattered, officials had no choice but to throw the red flag.
On the restart, Jenkins initially got the better of Smith however a bold move down the inside at Williams on lap one saw the multiple title winner wrestle the lead back and from there, he streaked clear to triumph ahead of Jenkins and Michael Oliver.
Heavy rain battered the circuit in the run-up to race two but despite having to contend with damp conditions, nobody could stop Smith from doing the double. As he romped to victory, ten-time title winner Stuart Oliver found a way past Jenkins in the closing stages to clinch second place.
Race 3 on Sunday morning saw similar levels of dominance displayed however this time it was Bowler that put on a clinic for his rivals. Hitting the front at the start, the MAN TGX driver didn’t look back as he cruised to the chequered flag ahead of title combatants Oliver and Smith.
The weekend’s penultimate bout then saw a remarkable ending play out as Jenkins went from third to first on the last lap to win. Michael Oliver had looked on course to secure a lights-to-flag victory but a technical issue at the start of the final tour tragically relegated him down the order.
His demise prompted Powell into the lead but within a blink of an eye the lead changed hands once more as Jenkins muscled his way past through the Hamilton, Oggies and Williams sequence of corners.
Jenkins would romp home to triumph for the second time this season while Powell managed to secure second ahead of Smith, who was a distant third in his Worldwide Truck Racing machine.
Drivers faced atrocious conditions for the weekend’s finale and despite expert skill being showcased behind the wheel, officials were forced to throw the red flag as the rain intensified. Michael Oliver would ultimately be declared the winner ahead of Smith and Jenkins.
Four of the best in Division 2
Division 2 also promises to deliver a grandstand finish over the remaining two race meetings after the quartet of Cole, Ojanen, Evans and Eason shared the spoils that were on offer at Snetterton.
The weekend began in dramatic style with championship leader Harvey grinding to a halt just a few seconds into qualifying and with no lap time on the board, the Weaver Motorsport driver had his work cut out for the remainder of the event.
It was Evans that eventually claimed pole position however due to the regulations stipulating that he runs as a novice, he would be forced to start from sixth. That therefore opened the door for Cole to take advantage and he cruised to a comfortable win in race one ahead of Ojanen and the recovering Harvey.
After claiming a maiden win last time out at Donington Park, Finnish ace Ojanen doubled his tally for the season in race two as he reigned supreme. Arguably the biggest celebrations though came for Graham Poole, who secured third place and with it, his first-ever podium in the series.
Sunday would see the title pendulum continue to fluctuate. An overnight engine change for Harvey had left the DAF racer hopeful of competing, although that would sadly not come to fruition, whilst Cole faced his own ongoing mechanical gremlins.
Their travails would allow Evans the opportunity to claw back some much-needed points and he did just that in the best way possible, as he blitzed his remaining rivals to comfortably win races three and four.
Evans would fail to make it a hat-trick though as WDE Motorsport’s Eason would master the wet conditions in a sodden finale. The Tool Maniac-backed star fought his way to the front and then pulled clear to deservingly prevail for the first time this season.
To view the full classification of results from all British Truck Racing Championship sessions at Snetterton, CLICK HERE.
All five races from the fifth event of the campaign are available to view on the British Truck Racing Championship YouTube channel HERE.
The British Truck Racing Championship returns to the track in just a few days’ time as the world-famous Le Mans circuit in France stages the penultimate event of the season on September 20-21.