Taylor joins truck-racing champion Smith on the rostrum

For their driver, Mark Taylor, who is enjoying his debut year in the MV Commercial British Championship finished in second place in the final race to join the winner, Ryan Smith, the rostrum.

Three-times champion Smith has strong links to Taylor’s in that the transport firm has sponsored him for the last two years.

He served up the perfect performance at Thruxton with four wins to extend his lead in this season’s standings.

Qualifying around the Hampshire circuit, which is the fastest in the UK, proved to be frenetic ahead of the opening race as the soaring temperatures pushed drivers and machines to the limit.

But Smith, continuing his rich vein of form, stormed to his first pole of the season before winning a thrilling head-to-head with rival David Jenkins to take his sixth win of the campaign.

His charge continued 24 hours later in the second race when he picked his way through the field after starting in sixth on the grid.

Lights-to-flag dominance was the story of Smith’s third win before he completed an unprecedented clean sweep in race four.