I spent some of the bank holiday weekend that heralds the end of August at the BTRA Truck Racing event at Donington Park, which was fantastic fun. I posted before about a previous trip to watch truck racing at Donington, and thought it would be good to go back and see some more. I took my young son Xander with me, who has taken quite a shine to motorsport, to see what he would think of it.
The truck racing comes in two divisions, both of which feature the huge vehicles. Rather than two or three litre engines, these beasts come with up to fourteen litres, and that added power means that some of the sections of the track that are normally good places for spectators to watch the action were closed during the truck races for the protection of those watching. A fast moving truck would have a significant momentum which might take more than the gravel trap and wall to stop.
When one of the trucks put a wheel off the track, then there was plenty of dust thrown up around it, making it hard to see, but giving the quite spectacular sight of a truck emerging from the dust cloud.
We were close enough to see into the cabs of the trucks as they raced by us.
We did spot that at least one of the trucks had a minion on board…
Sunday morning saw a truck run wide and remind us about the amount of force these trucks can carry, as it ploughed into the barrier.
After watching the chequered flag that signalled the end of the session, we headed off into the paddock to see what was going on.
Like many motorsport events, there was an open paddock, and we able to watch as the trucks made their way back to the teams.
We were able to watch work going on between sessions for the trucks, as the teams got their vehicles to the right state, even polishing the exteriors.
As well as truck racing, there was plenty of other activity on track, with various other vehicles taking turns to race.
There were two series of mini racing there, which were exciting and showed close racing.
There was also an appearance from the Legends series, which are always entertaining and exciting to watch.
There were plenty of trucks on display as well as those racing, including many that were painted with various designs. I spotted this one, which reflected the film Rush.
Much as I enjoyed the various sessions, there is something unique about watching trucks coming hurtling around the track. Even in the speed limited pit lane, they look impressive and fearsome as they prepare to race.
Xander definitely enjoyed his trip. He was a big fan of the Legends, both on the track and in the paddock, and wanted to get as close to them as he could.
He did seem to quickly find a truck that he particularly liked in the paddock, and went to have a look.
He adored the trucks in action, and smiled and waved and jumped up and down as the passed by. Definitely a fan. We took advantage of all of the various activities around the event that meant that no one would get bored, and Xander even got to stand on the top step of the podium. He seemed to love that.
It was definitely a fun trip. Here are a few more photos, I hope you like them.
