Huthwaite's Mark Taylor back for second season of European truck racing

Mansfield Sports Recognition Awards 2023 contender, driver Mark Taylor, 37, said “I’m thoroughly looking forward to our second season in the Championship.

“Last season was a rollercoaster of highs and lows throughout but has been fantastic. I have learnt a lot during it making new friends and fans along the way.

“The team and I look forward to 2024 with all the experience gained last season”.

The team have plenty of work to do before the season starts in May, where they will challenge the eight rounds of the race series.

The season's eight race calendar was announced just before Christmas and will start at the end of May at Misano Circuit in Italy.

They will take in World class circuits that have hosted many FIA Formula One races such as Nürburgring, Germany and Zolder in Belgium.

At the end September the team will also travel to Le Mans in France, home of the famous Le Mans 24 hours.

Mark’s office for the race weekends, his highly modified MAN TGX race truck is in the workshop being fully prepared for the season and before that there will be some testing taking place in the UK and the usual practice in Europe, same as last season.

Weighing in at around 5.5 tonnes, with 1,100bhp and a top speed of 160 km/h the truck is a beast. The six-cylinder 12000cc race tuned engine delivers power through a 16-speed manual gearbox with a locked rear differential, special race tuned tyres and water-cooled brakes.

Taylor is no stranger to the truck racing scene.

Before last season he had five years in the British Truck Racing Championship, last season as his first season in the European Championship that saw Taylor take to new race circuits, more experienced competitors and new rules and regulations for racing like a duck to water.

He finished the season 12th in the FIA ETRC Championship, taking fifth spot in the FIA ETRC Promoters Cup for newcomers and the team finished fifth in the FIA ETRC Teams Championship - not bad for a first season's racing.

The first season didn’t go without drama though. Mid-way at Most in the Czech Republic Taylor was involved in a 100mph start line crash, sustaining a few bruises, the truck coming worst off and being virtually written off in the incident.

The team with others helping under the series banner of #onetruckfamily pulled together and in 10 days re-built the truck ready to complete the last three rounds of the championship.

Chad Sport will be keeping you up to date on the race team before the start of the season and throughout it too.