Truck extravaganza at Donington Park

The sporting heavyweights pack the power and the thrills as Donington Park hosts its annual trucking extravaganza of family sporting fun and thrills – 8th and 9th August.

A quarter of a century on from hosting the first major truck race in the country, the Leicestershire circuit will again rumble to the thunder of these tyre smoking, big on acceleration, ton-up giants.

And, in an action two day programme of racing there are amazing contrasts, from the National Scooter races through to the seven tonners battling for points in the Delphi British Truck Racing Championship. Add in Ginetta sportscars, super-fast PickUp trucks, BMW saloons and single seater Formula Renault cars and there is wide appeal.

Trucks take centre stage with Stuart Oliver, driving a powerful MAN, expecting to take the victories in the three eight lap races before dominating the ten lap final, but the driver from Hexham faces a big local challenge in the shape of HGV engineer Mat Summerfield from nearby Burton on Trent who is joint second in the standings with Yorkshireman Richard Collett.

There are only six points between them as they go into the races while in the category for British trucks, Winchester driver Dave Ball will take some stopping as he powers his dominant Seddon Atkinson into his three races.

There are two truck races on Saturday, and seven on Sunday amid a busy 22 race programme and although speed and thrills on track predominate, there is also the display of show trucks, customised with lavish paint-jobs, fully prepared by the ‘spit and polish’ brigade to be at their best. They will also parade on circuit at lunchtime on each day.

Monster Trucks will be strutting their stuff, and without doubt crushing the odd car or two on the infield with displays on both days, while on Saturday afternoon and evening there is “drifting” on the Launch Pad area to the rear of Redgate.

A demanding course has been laid out there for these powerful saloons to be thrown around, drifting with tyres squealing and smoking, as they compete against the clock – viewing of this is from the spectator bankings at Redgate Corner. Watch the track action, then turn around and see the drifting!

Track action begins at 09.15 on Saturday, with practice, with the first race at 12.15, while on Sunday, after practice from 09.05, the big race programme is underway from 09.30 building to a climax with the Grand Final of the Truck Racing, over 10 laps at approximately 18.00.

Ticket information and to book advance tickets, check out donington-park.co.uk