Druids spill for 145
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A PREVIEW for the 1986 Lucas Truck Superprix almost ended in tragedy last week, when Dave Gray, driving a Leyland T45 Roadtrain 16.28, overturned his truck coming out of Druids Bend, at Brands Hatch race circuit.
Luckily. Gray emerged unscathed, but his truck
named Flo, looked very much
the worse for wear. It ended up on its side, with a tyre missing, its wheel arches badly buckled, its cab dented on both sides, and its windscreen smashed.
Gray, who is Perkins' European sales manager for
its Eagle (Rolls-Royce) diesels, plans to rebuild Flo in time for the Superprix on April 12 and 13.
The fact that he emerged unscathed is a testament to the effectiveness of Flu's roll cage, harness seat belts, and Isringhausen racing seat.
A spokesman for Lucas CAV, sponsor of the truck, says that the accident was probably the result of too much acceleration coining out of Druids. He dismisses a theory that oil spilt on the track, 3 minutes earlier (when the Leyland engine in British driver Reg Hopkins' truck exploded) may have contributed to the accident.
The ;iccident apart, last week's action at Brands Hatch augurs well for the Superprix in April.
Most of Europe's leading truck racers took part in the practice runs, including Barry Sheene, former world motorcycle champion, who says: "This year I am concentrating on truck racing as I don't have a saloon car deal — the Brands Indy Circuit was the first track I raced on — it would be great to win there on six wheels rather than two.
This year, Sheene will drive a Sherwood Dal 3600 ATi model, which will make its debut at Brands.
He will compete with a whole host of truck racing stars including last yea r's Euro pea n champion, Rod Chapman, who won the Danish. Italian and British Grand Prix last year; Richard Walker, runner-up in the Brands Hatch Superprix last year; Slim tiorgudd. previously drummer with the Swedish pop group Abba.