Four Different Winners From Five Thundering Truck Races At Pembrey’s Convoy Cymru Truck Festival

The UK’s biggest motorsport series - the British Truck Racing Championship-  headlined the eye-catching Convoy Cymru Truck Festival with five action-packed races.

A bumper crowd flocked through the gates of the Carmarthenshire venue to witness edge-of-the-seat entertainment, high drama and a number of milestone BTRC moments.

They were also entertained by a packed support race programme which featured some fantastic Classic Saloon Racing Club races, three 2CV Racing Club Championship races (including a 90 minute endurance race), MG Owners Club races, puls a spectacular Monster Truck Show, Monster truck rides, Tractor Pulling demonstrations, a food village, funfair, trade stands and live music!

In Division 1, reigning champion Ryan Smith endured contrasting fortunes as he went from winning both races on Saturday to suffering mechanical woes on Sunday. 

Adam Bint, Michael Oliver and Stuart Oliver would also triumph, underlining just how competitive the grid is this year.

In Division 2, Simon Cole and Jake Evans renewed their battle from Brands Hatch as they shared the spoils that were on offer once again; Cole claiming a hat-trick of wins whilst Evans was able to tally a brace of his own.

Four different winners as Division 1 fight heats up
Having qualified on pole, nine-time champion Ryan Smith won the first of five BTRC races at Pembrey by converting pole into a plus 10 second race win in his Daimler Freightliner.

Behind him, Michael Oliver had been comfortably running in second place before a gearbox issue brought his race to a premature end. His demise elevated Stuart Oliver and David Jenkins onto the podium.

Race two was a near carbon copy performance by Smith as he stamped his authority on proceedings by winning by more than 20 seconds. 

While he scampered off into the distance, an almighty battle for second place behind him had fans gripped.

Oliver Jnr initially upheld runners-up laurels but his pace soon diminished and having produced a defensive masterclass in the early exchanges, David Smith came to the fore to claim a career-best finish of second. 

Jenkins would fight back from some early travails to secure third late in the day.

Former Division 2 champion Adam Bint took on a starring role in race three as he produced a defensive masterclass to claim his maiden win in the premier class ahead of John Bowler and David Smith.

Starting on the front row, Bint controlled the pace in his Mercedes Actros and despite having to withstand immense pressure from the chasing pack, the fan favourite held on to take the chequered flag and record what was a breakthrough result.

History was then made in the penultimate contest of the weekend as Team Oliver Racing claimed a momentous 1-2-3 finish, with Michael Oliver leading home his ten-time champion father Stuart Oliver and team-mate Martin Gibson.

Hitting the front from the get-go, all three Giti-backed machines ran line astern at the front with the Oliver duo gradually pulling clear as the race unfolded. 

For Gibson, his race was slightly more pressurised as a host of contenders kept him honest all the way to the finish.

The weekend’s fifth and final race saw high drama play out as Ryan Smith - who had been spun out of contention in race three and was then hit with mechanical issue in race four - looked on course to take a routine lights-to-flag victory.

Building up a lead of more than five seconds, Smith suddenly was forced to dive into the pit lane with smoke pouring off his machine. 

With his race at a premature end, the Oliver duo took control of the lead - with both drivers enjoying a handful of laps out front.

On the run to the finish, Michael slowed ever so slightly to allow Stuart to chalk up his third win of the season. Finishing hot on their heels was former champion Jenkins, who had been a permanent fixture on their rear bumpers throughout.

Cole and Evans strengthen Division 2 title challenges
Blockbuster entertainment was there for all to see when it came to Division 2 over the course of the weekend as Simon Cole and Jake Evans walked away with a share of the spoils in South Wales.

Qualifying on Saturday morning set the tone for what was to come as Cole blasted his way to the Giti Pole Position Award. In what was a pulsating session that saw the likes of Evans and Bradley Harvey on top at one stage, Cole dug deep in the closing stages to light up the timesheets.

The Iveco TGS driver then made the most of starting at the front as he produced a measured drive to claim his fourth victory of the campaign in race one, while Evans and Sami Ojanen completed the podium.

Cole extended his winning streak in race two to cap off a perfect Saturday at the track by comfortably winning ahead of Ojanen and Evans, the latter having found a way past Harvey in the closing stages.

Race three on Sunday morning saw Cole extend his winning streak to six successive races as he just narrowly edged out Evans to top spot. 

Having seen his lead eaten into by the series debutant, over a number of laps, a red flag ultimately brought an early finish, ensuring Cole was victorious.

Evans would have his moment on the top step of the podium in race four however as he underlined why he is serious contender in the battle for the covered crown this season by producing a superlative drive.

Contact early on unfortunately forced Cole to visit the pit lane and when Ojanen suffered his own mechanical misfortune, Evans took full advantage to triumph ahead of fellow rookies Harvey and Callum Eason.

Cole would bounce back from his earlier travails to claim runners-up laurels in the final race of the weekend as Evans - who found a way past the experienced racer at mid-distance - triumphed once again. Harvey would also star as he bagged another third place finish in his DAF LF.

READ MORE: Big Guns Thunder Into Pembrey Circuit For This Weekend’s Convoy Cymru Truck Racing Festival