Donnington Park, England - November 2002

This was a one-day meeting on the Sunday, with a very busy day's schedule:
1 x timed Qualifying Session and 2 x points Races.

Saturday lunchtime was the time to leave, so we get down to Donnington in the daylight, to set up our pit ready for scrutineering and signing on at 8am on the Sunday morning.

Ben and I were all loaded up and ready to go by 12 noon, so it was just the ladies we were waiting for. Jane, Jessica and Kylie, arrived at the yard at about 2pm with loads of reasons as to why they were late! We got away by 2.30pm for the short one and three quarter hour journey to Donnington. I wanted to go a bit earlier than this, so I put my foot down in my purple Kenworth, and made the journey in record time, with the girls in the car following, sometimes struggling to keep up!

I had another job to do on arrival at Donnington that afternoon, and that was to park up and see about 40 Show Custom Trucks we had invited from all over the country. I had a call on my mobile phone from Stuart at around 3pm who informed me he had been at Donnington since 10am and lots of Show Trucks had started to arrive, so that made me feel very late, and niggled me to go faster!

Turning into the circuit a rear tyre on the trailer blew-out with such a bang I thought the Racer had fallen off the transporter! Anyway I kept going and pulled into the paddock with a flat tyre on the trailer, dragging the wheel on the ground, with this highly amusing the Race Teams already on site!

I left Ben, Jane, Jess and Kylie to unload and set up while I went off in the car to with Stuart to sort out these very pretty Custom Show Trucks. Then Stuart decides at 7pm to call a Race Drivers Meeting to discuss 16 drivers opinions on this Season's and next Season's rules, regulations etc., etc. For those of you who don't know, Stuart Oliver is the chairman of The British Truck Racing Association, and I am the vice-chairman. So, I have to be on hand for my chairman, as his lieutenant at all times off the Track??

I decided to take the minutes of the meeting for us to analyse the points raised, at a later date. Well- we had everything from the fast Trucks should go slower, to give the slower ones more of a chance, to, not enough black smoke from the leaders! Plus more and more unworkable ideas for the future! How on earth 16 different guys with 16 different budgets were ever going to agree on anything was a tall order. But at least we tried! This went on for 2 hours until it was time for a committee meeting! That went on for another one and a half hours, and it was 10.45 pm before I managed to get a drink and something to eat, (which Jane had ordered and paid for earlier, asking for it to be kept hot!) in the bar.

I bumped into Ben and asked him if we were ready for the morning, and he replied " Definitely! But Dad, some of the other drivers who beat you in Le Man have been taking the Mickey, saying they're going to beat you tomorrow!" With a grin on his face!!

My bed started calling me at 11.30 pm - So to the hotel we went to get a decent night's kip, under the flight-path of East Midlands Airport! However the jets didn't bother me, and I slept like a log.

My mobile phone started ringing at 7am Sunday morning - First the diagnostics man
trying to find the paddock entrance, and then the shock absorber man, followed by three or four more calls from customers or friends we had invited, letting us know they were on their way, or just about to arrive!

No time for breakfast! Got to get down to the Track by 8am. We were signed on and scrutineered by 8.45, with the timed practice session at 9.15am.

As I shut my driver's door to go out on the circuit Ben said, "Take it steady Dad, bed the brakes in first, don't forget to turn the water brakes on, then show 'em we've got the most powerful engine on the grid!" It was a year since I'd raced here, so, all this in only 7 Laps, plus familiarise myself with the circuit as well, in a 15-minute window!

Easy weekend job, don't you think? I qualified 4th - 1.5 seconds off pole position place. Not good enough really, but that was how it went… A surprise 5th on the grid was my old mate Paul Mckumisky who first raced with me at Silverstone back in 1986. He had an accident in one of his road motors about 18 months ago, and had to hang up his helmet for a while for various reasons. This was his first Meeting back with us, and sure showed those cocky new drivers how to put a 15year old Ford Cargo with an old 14ltr Cummins up near the front of the grid. I know Paul very well, and hoped in the race at the first corner he wouldn't give a little push from behind for old times sake!! But he's Jessica's godfather so I shouldn't worry I suppose, because he's sort of family.

Back in the paddock feverish activity is going on at the Race Truck. The shock absorber man is adjusting and making notes, the diagnostics man is checking and resetting all systems, fuel's going in, water for the brakes is filling up, she's all jacked up having her brakes adjusted, the bonnet is up, and Ben is trying to check every last nut, clamp, wire etc., in the time available. While Jess is stood on the front wheel cleaning the windscreen! Nothing I can do then - So I went to check on Jane who was entertaining our friends and customers in a suite above the pit garages. Kids kept getting me for autographs along the way, so it took a while to get there!

I opened the door to the suite. The TV was on, everyone was chatting, holding a cup of coffee or eating something, so I sneaked in to have a quick chat with a few people. But, I didn't feel right in this type of 'smiley, hello - hello, environment, especially as I was trying to focus on the coming two Races, and the battle that was to come on the track. So after about 15 minutes I was out of there, back to the Truck, to tick the minutes away to the first Race….

The 1st Race was action packed!

Stuart got a good start, Ross got a slow start, Dave Jenkins got a jump-start and I got a rubbish start! So- I decided to hang back into the 1st corner as Dave hit Stuart from behind then hit Ross in the side, pushing him out of the corner! Ross went off, and rejoined in about 12th place. I carefully took the 1st corner and then gave her full throttle to go down through Craner curves in 3rd place. I thought I'd better see where Paul was before I turned into the curve, and guess what - he was about 2ft behind me at 95mph! Right in my wheel tracks!! Obviously two experienced minds think alike when trying to keep out of trouble!

Stuart is off in front like a scalded cat - Dave Jenkins in 2nd, is all over the grass and kerbs belching black smoke, locking up wheels in his pursuit of Stuart! Then me - Trying to see past the smoke, water, mud and other crap coming out of 'Jenk's Truck, which, you can see for yourself on the video and TV, filmed that day via the link to my onboard camera. I just had to stay tidy on the Track and be as quick as possible.

Paul starts then to slowly disappear from my mirrors. 2 laps in and I am beginning to catch David, a bit here, and a bit there, until I'd got right behind him by Lap 4, putting some pressure on the young, always got a lot to say, driver. The problem I had then was seeing the Track for the smoke. I could not rely on his Racing Line to follow at high speed, as he was all over the place, if I didn't watch it his Truck would unsight me into the bends, and I'd be the one going off! Down the straight he took quite a gap out on me, so I assumed he must be speeding, as I was patiently holding it on 100 mph. (I can go over - up to about 106mph if I let go onto the engine governor) But - held my Truck with my red light on the dash, activated by the tacho - holding exactly
100 mph for about 20 seconds on the straight. But it felt more like 20 minutes! In and out the chicane we go and onto Lap 6. What is this black flag I see hanging over the pit wall? Look at that! Its got number 69 being held up by the side of it! That put a grin on my face, as it was the black and silver Truck in front, holding me up, belching black smoke. He had been issued with a Stop and Go penalty for too much black smoke! (About time!) He had to come in to take his penalty within 3 Laps of the flag being displayed.

I started laughing as well as grinning, and thought I'd have a bit of a game with him now!! Wondering if he's seen the flag?!?

So I started to put more pressure on him from behind, but not by trying to go by him, in case he took me off - I just rubbed the paint on his rear end a bit when I could - still patiently holding 100 mph down the straight. Was he going in this time? No! Straight by the pits he went, and covered the bloke holding the flag in black smoke as he went by!

We're now on Lap7 - Three still to go! He's obviously not going to go in and take his penalty quite yet, so I keep the pressure on. My brakes are going off by now, and taking a quick check in the mirror and I see this Yellow silhouette - Can't be Paul - Must be Ross! Dave is driving defensively now and slowing us both up. Stuart has disappeared from view, some 1/4 of a Lap or so, up front. Bored stiff and passing a few back markers to keep his brain active!

Another check of the mirror, and the Yellow was bigger Ross was absolutely flying! Another three corners saw him right up my backside. What am I to do now!! I didn't have much of a chance to try much blocking on him. As we went down the short pit straight on Lap9 to Redgate corner, where we can also reach 100mph - just for a couple of seconds before you have to jump on the brakes to make the corner, he's up the inside, late on his disc brakes, and past! No messing! Ross is in one of his tempers and wants to get Jenkins to pay him back for pushing him out at the first corner! GET ON! Then, Ross, I thought, " Get him!" I drove as hard as I could, as I wanted a Grandstand seat to watch it happen! On the last Lap, on the top section, which leads onto the Home straight he'd caught him! Got up his inside and just drove him off the circuit, giving him a good bang on his cab door as he went by, all at about 90mph!

The lucky kid still managed to rejoin in front of me and take the chequered flag in 3rd place! On the slowing down Lap he went into the pits, to try and get his 3rd place, I followed him in, a Marshall tried to direct me on, as only the first three are allowed to stop in the Pit Lane Prize giving area. I ignored him and pulled in 4th to collect my 3rd place trophy. Dave looked embarrassed when I received 3rd place, as he thought it was his! Shame, that - don't you think! He was kicking himself, walking all the way back to his pit, because although he was disqualified for not coming in to take his penalty for black smoke, let alone speeding. If he had taken the chequered flag, by driving through the pit lane, he would have taken 3rd in the Race! But - he's young. And probably doesn't understand the rules!!

So - That's another 3rd for us. 8 Points, and we're still on the up!

The 2nd Race of the Day was even more action-packed!

Dave had to start from the back of the grid, Stuart's in Pole, Ross in 2nd on the outside of Row 1. Me in 3rd - inside Row2, with Max 'Power' Dawson, by my side in 4th. No sign of Paul, he's at the back, somewhere, as he failed to finish Race 1 after throttle problems on Lap7. How was it going to pan out in this Race? I thought to myself.

As we pulled away, I gave Max a little wave 'good bye' out of my side window, as I thought of what he'd said in Le Mans….

We started our Rolling Lap behind the Pace Truck, down through Craner Curves, at about 50mph, side by side. 8 x rows of 6ton trucks, warming up the tyres and brakes, checking switches, brake pressure, gearshifts - like you do! Similar to a jet pilot just before take-off. I must remember to turn on my water brakes on the first Lap, or I'll have no brakes by Lap4, I keep reminding myself, and thinking Ben will give me a hard time later if I forget!! I keep touching the brakes to see if She's pulling left a bit, or a bit to the right this time on the steering - if the auto front brake adjusters are not equal, i.e. the left has gone up one. But the right still hasn't, I get an imbalance to cope with whilst braking.

As we negotiate the Old Hairpin the 40 or so Custom Show Trucks parked up
On the hill in the in-field, flash their lights and honk their big air horns to add to the show, and let the crowd know the main attraction is on the Track and about to start!

Just the chicane to negotiate now - Quick as you can - Trying not to lean on the bloke by the side of you, keeping the revs up - Hand on the gear-lever - Ready to shift up- Everyone nice and equally spaced in formation, before the man on the overhead gantry, watching us like a hawk, will change the lights from red to green! Only when he's happy with the pack formation! I'm hoping they'll change soon, because I am ready! Good revs. Good boost. But if Stuart throttles's off, or brakes, my start will be useless. My right foot is really itching. My fingers of my right hand are wriggling about inside my gloves. I want to GO!

Stuart does a text book run, slightly accelerating up to the lights, with me slightly hanging back of him, and…. Green - at last! GO! GO! GO! Leaving Max for dead!

I was shifting up a gear before the red light went out - bang on the green, with my right foot to the floor at the same time, my best start of the year! But I'm accelerating faster than the two Trucks blocking the Track off in front of me! There's not enough of a gap between them, or down the inside to the 1st corner. I was adamant though I was not going to lift my right foot off that throttle. I'm on a race to get to Turn 1 first! A bit risky as I had 10 Laps to do after it, but my 'gung-ho!' attitude, which I thought I'd lost ten years ago, came back! If I can't get through the middle, or up the inside, then I'm going the long way, round the outside! Rubbing my wheel-nuts down the Pit Wall in the process, showing the current Champion, I've still got what it takes! Out from the inside of Row2, and up the outside of Ross, I arrived at the corner doing around 90mph with two wheels outside of the Track! On the wrong line and going too fast!

I checked my right side window and could see neither the Yellow of Ross or Green and Silver of Stuart! I really don't know what I was thinking of, but there I was, in front of them both for the first time all year!!!!

So - I stood on the brakes, and turned in, and BANG! I'd hit Ross with my rear wheel on his front wheel. I get lifted 3ft in the air with the force of the impact, while I'm trying to get round the corner!

Ben's watching all this from the Pit Lane and puts his hands on his head in despair of his Dad's daring, reckless overtaking manoeuvre, using his lovely Purple Truck as a battering ram, and which we had only just got running competitively!

But, if you don't take risks you get nowhere, my Dad used to tell me! I just wish he was in the cab with me now, to help me get round this bloody corner!

With all four wheels back on the ground, I'm gently trying to get round the corner on the outside, with about 6" of tarmac left before I go into the deep gravel trap. Hoping I don't get hit again. Stuart goes flying by, Ross a few inches from the back of him, both cutting me up as they go!!

So down Craner Curves in 3rd place I went, just like I was about 100yds before, but then I had an undamaged rear wheel and tyre! As the speed went up to 100mph and I turned into the first curve of Craner's, the rear of the Truck stepped out on me big time, so, as Stuart and Ross and Ross are braking for the Old Hairpin, I'm coming up behind them very fast and sideways! That's when I first knew I must have a problem at the rear of my vehicle! The outer wheel was smashed and the tyre badly slashed, and flat! With all the Truck's rear offside weight, being carried by the inside tyre only on 26psi. "Well, Mr. Daredevil, that's good for nine and a half Laps still to go!" I thought to myself, hoping the two Trucks in front of me hurry up and get round the corner, before I run into both of them!

I managed to straighten it all up, still hold onto 3rd and power up the hill to the top section. She was ok on the right handers, but no good at all on the left-hand curves or corners. I checked in my mirror and it was full of Trucks I was holding up! Stuart, closely followed by Ross are already quite a way up the road, so if I can hold on to 3rd for another 9 Laps it will be a miracle! But never say die and try! I turn into the widest, Truck Racing exactly on the Racing Line, three seconds a lap off the pace. I held those anxious boys up for 7 more Laps, sweating buckets in the process! Then - carving his way through from the back is Dave Jenkins. Now, holding Dave behind me would not be as easy (as he goes by, on the grass, over the kerbs, or anywhere he likes really!) On Lap 9 he got a good run out of the top section, jumped the inside kerb, and shot down the inside of me on the straight, running down to the chicane. We were side by side, but he had the line for the turn, so I knew I'd lost before we'd even got there. But, I thought, I'd try a bit of bluff. So I braked early, then put the gas back on! So - he did as well a split second later! Which was just what I wanted! As he went flying by, on the tight inside line, I could turn and brush the speed off, having more outside Track surface, and could make the turn, but he couldn't!

He narrowly missed the start of the concrete Pit Wall, and shot across the Track from the left-hand side to the right hand side going towards the Armco Barrier, and I went by him! What I hadn't figured on though was him controlling his Truck and trying to rejoin the Track, after I'd only got half of my Truck past him! My already heavily damaged very sharp rear wheel made contact with his cab. I heard, and felt, another really big bang and a lift up in the air for the second time! My wheel cut big chunks out of his steel cab and knocked his front axle out of line! But what about us? Could we do one more Lap to the chequered flag? Yes, we could -just, slowly, and came home very battle scarred in 3rd place.

I took up my 3rd spot in the Pit Lane for my trophy, getting a load of banter and a 'Well Done' from Ross and Stuart.

Another 8 Points in the bag!

I walked back to my pit holding my trophy high, getting calls of "Well Done and Nice One Steve!" all the way back. Ben was still in shock when we met back at the Pit! But the trouble was we'd both left the Truck in the Pit Lane, both expecting the other to bring it home, some 250yds to the Pit. So Ben ran up to bring her home to a hero's welcome by all our guests that had gathered by our Pit to see the Truck and her driver, who was trying not to confess that he'd 'lost' her for a while!

She did a good job that day, and I was totally exhausted, but I couldn't rest yet, as we had to load up and drive home. We got home at around 10.30pm, and did I sleep well!

So- Monday morning, it's back to reality and back to work…

I got into the office about 9.30am, giving my Race Truck on the transporter, a grin as I drove in the yard in my car. "Well Done girl!" I said to myself.

Straight away, as I walk in the office I get - What shall I do about this pallet of freight? What about this load of tiles? This driver hasn't turned up, etc., etc. I asked for a cup of coffee with a smile to my staff, went into my office and shut the door, until I was ready to start work…

I park my transporter in the yard, so I can see it from my office window, whenever I want to look at my passion. This helps to keep me going at work! My office is full of photos of my passion and my trophy cabinet takes pride of place.

But - hard work pays for it all, so I'd better get on with it…. My whole body is aching, and I feel completely knackered, and its only Monday morning….. I went out of the back door of my office over to the transporter to find my laurels and trophies from the weekend and to add them to my collection in the office.