Superprix Swede
Page 6
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• The major event at Britain's first truck race meeting of 1986 was won by Swedish driver Rolf Bjork, whose Scania 142 also broke the lap record for the short circuit at Brands Hatch.
The two-day Lucas Truck Superprix at Brands Hatch last weekend was hit by appalling weather last Saturday, and a pessimistic weather forecast (later proved unfounded) meant attendance on Sunday was well down on the numbers for last year, though official figures have not yet been released.
Bjork's Scania, which races in the over-225kW class, had another Swedish entry in the form of Curt Goransson's Volvo N12 alongside it on the grid.
Behind these two were vehicles from the smaller classes, Wile Green's Silkolene ERF and Richard Walker's Century Oils Leyland Roadtrain.
Behind them again were the disqualified "winner" of last year's British Truck Grand Prix, Gaudenzio Mantova (Scania 142), and Scammell's Howard Barnes in his S26.
Last year's European champion, Rod Chapman (Ford Cargo), was a couple of rows further back, as befits the vehicle's lower power.
As the result of a tangle at the first bend, Robert Williams's Bedford TM in Wheels Truck and Van Rental colours was flagged off from the restart.
The race turned out to be a bit of a procession at the front, with Bjork running ahead of Goransson until the latter retired after 24 of the 25 laps, leaving Green's ERF a clear second-place holder ahead of a heavily-smoking Walker Roadtrain.
Chapman was fourth, with disc-jockey team-mate Mike Smith eighth in a good result for the small Fords.
Mike O'Brien's Detroit Diesel-engined Bedford TM was fifth, with Steve Parrish in the surviving Mitchell Cotts Mercedes-Benz ahead of Barry Sheene's Daf.
The only other classified finisher in ninth place was Andrew Levett, a lap behind in his Birds Groupage Services Scania 142.