Ryan Smith made a perfect start to his hunt for a ninth consecutive British Truck Racing Championship (BTRC) title with two victories on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit this afternoon (Easter Sunday).
Smith offered a strong reminder of his credentials at the wheel of a race truck with an impressive performance in Qualifying to claim pole position for the first two races of the weekend with his fastest and second fastest times during the session. Smith’s Daimler Freightliner was the only truck to lap the Kent venue’s shorter layout in under a minute.
Smith duly picked up where left off in the morning session in the first race of the day, surging into an early lead as the pack streamed into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time from a rolling start. Smith quickly built over fellow front row starter David Jenkins and never looked back, controlling proceedings from the head of the order.
Jenkins was the only chasing driver to keep Smith in sight, eventually crossing the line six seconds behind after 16 laps. Michael Oliver completed the podium, one place ahead of father and teammate Stuart Oliver who produced a charging drive to move up the order. John Bowler’s MAN TGX rounded out the top-five in the season opener.
The second race of the day got off to a slightly more dramatic start with Smith and Jenkins touching side to side on the approach to Paddock Hill Bend after once again sharing the front row. Smith held firm on the inside to force his rival to take a longer route around and was once again at the front as the field streamed through Druids and down towards Graham Hill Bend.
Further back, Tom O’Rourke went spinning into the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend amidst jostling in the mid-pack. This prompted a first ever appearance in the BTRC of the new-for-2024 Virtual Safety Car which allowed the race to continue in neutral conditions whilst O’Rourke’s International Navistar was recovered.
Smith once again powered towards the flag, but not before a tense finale in which Jenkins began to cut the gap down. Smith’s advantage was reduced to less than two seconds as the clock ticked to zero, but the reigning champion held on against his experienced rival. Michael Oliver once again joined the standout duo on the podium with Bowler and Stuart Oliver completing the top-five.
British Truck Racing Championship – Sunday Race 1
- Ryan Smith, Daimler Freightliner
- David Jenkins, MAN TGS, +6.039s
- Michael Oliver, MAN TGX, +19.039s
- Stuart Oliver, Volvo VNL, +20.614s
- John Bowler, MAN TGX, +23.422s
British Truck Racing Championship – Sunday Race 2
- Ryan Smith, Daimler Freightliner
- David Jenkins, MAN TGS, +1.665s
- Michael Oliver, MAN TGX, +13.871s
- John Bowler, MAN TGX, +14.223s
- Stuart Oliver, Volvo VNL, +15.512s
Click here for full race results.
Tickets for the British Truck Racing Championship at Brands Hatch on Easter Monday (1 April) are available on the gate with FREE entry for under-13s. For more event information, click here.