It was another successful weekend for Huthwaite-based racing team Taylors Trucksport Racing at the legendary Le Mans Bugatti Circuit in France last weekend, writes Paul Horton.

Round Six, the penultimate of the Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship, saw 37-year-old driver Mark Taylor excel to retain second spot in the Chrome Championship, taking two third places, a team championship award, and being the top-placed Brit all weekend.

Saturday’s two free practice sessions saw him take 13th spot in both out of the 18 contenders on the 2.6 miles of track.

Qualifying One was good, with five laps and a best time, he pitted to wait the time out in P11 and through to the next session. Keeping the momentum going, but not quite enough to the final six shootout, a sixth row to start race one.

A great start to Race One saw him into P10 by the end of lap one. On lap 5, Steffen Faas slowed, giving a safe passage for Taylor into ninth.

Three laps later a short-lived battle between Taylor and Lukas Hahn saw Taylor just not get in the mix to take him though. Contact on lap 10 with
Clemens Hecker saw him back into P10. Faas clipped the side of the #81 as well, slipping back further into P12 to take the flag and also be sixth in Chrome Class.

Race Two was a row 6 start. Another great start on the inside line put Taylor into P11. On lap 4 Taylor had powered his way into 10th slot and a lap later into P9. Leaving Albacete behind, a chase with Faas began. Taylor was happy with some points, taking P4 in Chrome.

A Team Championship was awarded to Team Taylor / Rodrigues.

Sunday’s Qualifying Two session saw a respectable time after five laps and Taylor remained in the pits and into the second instalment. He finished this off in P10, 4th in Chrome class.

Race Three, Taylor took a fifth row start into P9 by end of lap one. Playing it safe and gaining more points to the team’s advantage to finish P3 to take back second in the Chrome Championship after losing it on Saturday.

On the final race of the weekend there was a fifth row start. More points were on the cards. On lap 5 he was between Kursim and Newell, Kursim pulled away, so did Mark on Newell with a light to flag P9, P3 Chrome podium with more points in Chrome, a good end to the weekend.

Afterwards Taylor said “It was another good weekend getting two podiums and another team award. I was building points up to keep the championship alive for second place as we go to Jarama at the weekend for the season finale. Congratulations to the two crowned
European Champions, Drivers champion Norbit Kiss and Chrome Champion Jose Eduardo Rodrigues.”

Staying in second place in the championship will keep the last round buzzing as Taylor leads by four points to Faas in third spot.

It is a busy back-to-back week for the team as they are back in action in Spain at Jarama Circuit for the final round, this weekend (5 – 6 October).