Truck Racer from UPL Group on Vimeo.

We know the United Kingdom to be a source of great touring car racing, so it’s no surprise that lorry drivers would provide equally incredible track footage. Around a stereotypically dreary, wet, and cloudy track we are treated to a look into the world of European truck racing. Now we’re not talking hauling loads, drag racing, or hill climb, we are talking true road-racing. These drivers pilot their purpose built machines around the track with the same grace and precision of a low-slung sports-car.

The field of vehicles varies greatly, features mostly European cab-over-engine truck like Scania, and MAN, but it appears there are a few front engine American entries on the track. These trucks clearly have full tubular cages, improved steering geometry, and suspension to handle a road course the way they do. Impressively almost no body roll is evident in these high-riding commercial vehicles.

To quote one of the drivers “I mean this truck weighs 6,200 kilos, and when you’ve got it 80 mph in a four-wheel drift sideways, there’s nothing, nothing, better.” To see these drivers rotate around corners, crossed-up on the steering, it is an impressive sight.

The driving in the British Truck Racing Championships is a take no prisoners attitude toward track manners. Bump-drafting, and putting each other off track in the pursuit of a position appears to be all part of the race.

This clip is only a preview for a film by Tim Higham, entitled Truck Racer. This sort of racing brings a whole different perspective to diesel performance. These are some pits we’d like to walk through and speak with the competitors who have devoted their racing passion to trucks.