Autumn Truckfest Proves A Winner At Wild Pembrey

By Paul Evans

The BARC’s Autumn Truckfest survived the worst that Storm Callum could throw at it over the weekend, as the British Truck Racing Association Championship once again produced some thrilling racing at the Welsh Motorsports Centre at Pembrey.

The Division 1 and 2 categories were the headline acts, as the big trucks braved the weather around the challenging 1.45 mile circuit.

Ryan Smith (MAN TGA) was the man to beat in both wet and dry conditions, winning two Division 1 races. This has enabled him to extend his series lead over David Jenkins (MAN TGX).

John Powell (MAN Paccar) also won a pair of races in Division 2, although opening Pembrey race winner Luke Garrett (MAN TGX) continues to lead the series.

Last year’s Division 2 champion Mika Makinen (Sisu SL250) returned and qualified on pole, his wet Friday lap time almost four seconds faster than his nearest challenger. That was to be the highlight of the weekend, as it turned into a bit of a nightmare thereafter for the Finnish driver, with a race card full of DNF and DNS.

The British Truck Racing Association announced its provisional 2019 calendar at the weekend, with Pembrey once again hosting two race meetings next year on 11-12 May and 5-6 October.