Taylor’s Trucksport Racing Team driver Mark Taylor and the team were thrilled to take a podium spot in every Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship race in Poland last weekend, writes Paul Horton.

The Huthwaite-based team made the trip from their German base across the border for Round Three of the series and the Truck Grand Prix of Poland at Poznan Circuit, Poland.

The weekend couldn’t have gone any better and celebrations were high in camp during a weekend that saw their pilot, 36-year-old Mark Taylor, finish with four top 10 places and four podiums in the Goodyear FIA ETRC Promoter’s Cup.

A new venue for the series with 4.083 miles of tarmac and 14 corners, Taylor got faster as the weekend went on in his 5.3 tonnes truck.

Friday’s two Free Practice sessions saw track temperatures over 30 degrees.

FP1 saw Taylor complete 14 laps, topping around 121.423kph to finish 11 out of the 15 contenders. FP2 saw him just as fast but pipped at the end of timings to complete it in P12, only three seconds off topping the timing screens.

Saturday’s warm up session went well, seeing Taylor finish 12th, with 7 laps and even faster at 122.225kph.

Next up was Qualifying 1. In the 20-minute session Taylor was fast and again heat was the issue, as he missed out on Super Pole Session by just over two seconds and settled for 11^th and a 6^th row start for race one

After a fast start, by lap 3 Taylor was up to 10^th spot, he remained there in a faultless 11 lap race to see him home and dry and take a third-place podium in the Promoter’s Cup category.

Mark lined up in 10^th spot, row 5 of the grid for race two. At turn one there were a few trucks off, Taylor took advantage to move up to 6^th place. A lap later he lost a lap back into P7 to see the chequered flag and a 2^nd place and podium in the Promoter’s Cup challenge.

Sunday’s Warm Up and Qualifying 2 sessions saw Taylor complete qualifying in P10, to enter Super Pole where the top ten would battle for 10 minutes to settle the top for race three.

Race Three saw a restart. Quickly Mark went into P9, but being in the middle of the pack proved a difficult place to challenge from. A great race pursued as Taylor tried everything to get past, but after 11 laps he had to settle for P10. After some time penalties were issued to other drivers and Taylor was upgraded in the final positions to 8^th spot and runner-up for the second time over the weekend in the Promoter’s Cup.

Race Four’s final race saw a reverse grid and Taylor start on pole position, front of the pack of 15. His fist pole of the season and a great start was followed by being struck to the left rear,

Taylor battled on with some damage and finished sixth and another second step spot on the podium.

The team came third in the ETRC Teams Championship for the weekend.

Afterwards Mark said: “We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend in relation to podiums in the Promoter’s Cup and getting top 10 finishes in all the races.

“It was the first-time racing for us all at the circuit and proved to be a winner for us and the other teams.

“The truck behaved well. It was fast and the team did a great job as usual in blistering conditions, onward and upwards, we cant wait to get to Nürburgring in a few weeks’ time

The team left Poland third in the Goodyear FIA ETRC Promoter’s Cup with 102 points and 11^th in the Drivers European Championship. They also are 4^th in the ETRC Teams Championship

Image Credits: Andre Bartscher Photography