Huthwaite's Mark Taylor takes GB honours in Europe

The end of the Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship season couldn’t have been better for Huthwaite based Taylors Trucksport Racing Team.

They travelled to Jarama Circuit in Spain for the final round of the series, driver 37-year-old Mark Taylor took first class honours, becoming top placed Brit and Vice Champion (Runner-Up) in class. Returning with 10 trophies as well.

With the championship already in the hands of José Eduardo Rodrigues, Taylor battled Germany’s Steffen Faas to the wire for second place. Taylor delivered, securing two class wins and two overall podiums, to take that brilliant second-place in class for the season!

The weather was red hot as well as the racing for 17 contenders, Saturday’s two Free Practice sessions Taylor got to grips on the 2.392-mile tarmac, finishing 9th and P12.

Qualifying One, session one saw Taylor pit, 6 minutes on the clock remained taking P8, second fastest in Chrome and into Session Two with the top 12 finishers. Taking 9th, third in Chrome ahead of Faas.

A great start to Race One saw him on the inside into turn one and P8 (P2 Chrome) by the end of lap one. Two laps later Taylor was pulling away from Faas, by lap 8 there was a 3 second gap between the two extending it to 6 seconds as the flag came out, remaining same spot and a pole position for Race Two’s reverse grid.

Race Two Taylor and Halm were side by side going into Fangio corner, Halm getting the better line into Complex and extending her lead, Mark was having none of it and trying his upmost. Kursim was putting pressure on Mark from the rear, but Taylor was defending his P2, holding back the rest.

A battle by end of lap 5 behind saw the 6 times European Champion Norbert Kiss, putting pressure on Mark. By lap 8, Taylor’s defensive driving was exceptional. Mark was holding his own, giving Kiss and Hahn now behind a good fight. The last lap saw Taylor and Kiss side by side, Taylor taking the line, hundredth of a second over Kiss taking second overall and P1 in Chrome.

Sunday’s Qualifying Two session saw 5 minutes remaining in P7 (P1 Chrome) stopping in the pits for the second instalment. Finishing this off in P8, 2nd in Chrome.

Race Three, Taylor was was straight into P7 and eight laps into the 12-lap race he remained in P7, four laps later as the flag appeared remaining same, P2 Chrome but more importantly, an 11-point gap saw Mark become the Vice Champion in Chrome Class.

Race Four, another front row for Taylor, with Spaniard Albacete along side in pole. Albacete took the inside line advantage for Taylor to settle for second by end of lap one. Remaining in second would suit Mark as Albacete pushed ahead to his home fans delight and the gap behind Mark was enough without pressure. Remaining there, he was clam, cool and collected and sailed the #81 over the line, second overall and P1 in Chrome.

Afterwards Taylor said: “Wow, what a weekend, well what a season, I can’t believe such a great second season in Europe we have had. The team have got stronger as the season has progressed. We knew that the weekend would be a tough one going into it with a four-point lead but we sealed it in race three.”