Taylor’s Trucksport Racing Team’s driver Mark Taylor and Team were thrilled to take a podium spot in every race in Poland last weekend (24 – 25 June) writes Paul Horton.
The Huthwaite based Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship team took the trip from their Germany base across the border for Round Three of the series and the Truck Grand Prix of Poland at Poznan Circuit in Poland.
The weekend couldn’t have gone any better and celebrations were high in camp all weekend, that saw their pilot, 36-year-old Mark Taylor finish the weekend with four top ten places and four podiums in the Goodyear FIA ETRC Promoter’s Cup with more silverware to bring home with them, following on from their cup success in Slovakia two weeks ago.
A new venue for the series, that was a learning curve for all the teams with its 4.083 miles of tarmac and its 14 corners to encounter, Taylor took to the new circuit like a duck to water, he got faster as the weekend went on and the 5.3 tonnes of truck stuck to the circuit like glue.
The rest of the #81 team flew into Poland on Thursday to the usual first-class paddock set up fully prepared by the forward Team that arrived on the Tuesday. To organise such for a whole season in Europe is like a military operation.
Friday’s, two Free Practice sessions saw track temperatures over 30 degrees, it was very hot, humid and dry and set up was a little different to the torrential rain in Slovakia two weeks previous.
With 30 minutes on the clock for each session, Taylor was flying lap by lap with the odd excursion into the pit lane for the team to collect essential data and make a few tweaks to set up.
FP1 saw Taylor complete 14 laps, topping around 121.423kph to finish in 11th spot out of the 15 contenders. FP2 saw him just as fast but pipped at the end of timings to compete it in P12, only 3 seconds off topping the timing screens.
Saturday and Sunday were to be the proving ground for the team, Saturday’s warm up session went well, saw Taylor finish in 12th spot, with 7 laps and even faster at 122.225kph.
Next up was Qualifying 1, in the 20-minute session Taylor was fast and again the heat was the issue, the track was blistering but with new rubber to bed in and missing out on Super Pole Session by just over two seconds and settle for 11th and a 6th row start for race one
Race One saw Taylor again hot stuff, in more than one-way, dry settings on the truck was the order of the day, it was still blistering on and off track, as the pace truck peeled off circuit and the lights went out, he was off like a bolt of lightning.
By lap 3 Taylor was up to 10th 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 10th spot, row 5 of the grid for race two, at turn one there were a few trucks off, Taylor took advantage of the situation and was into 6th place, a lap later he lost a lap back into P7 to see the chequered flag and a 2nd place and podium in the Promoter’s Cup challenge.
Saturday’s proceedings were over, and Mark was jubilant as was the whole of the team to have taken two podiums out of the days two races.
Back to the Paddock went the #81 for its routine service to get it all ship shape for Sundays two races as Taylor studied his race data from the day, and where he could improve and getting any advantage for Sunday.
The team worked into the night on the truck making sure it was pristine for Sunday.
Sunday’s Warm Up and Qualifying 2 sessions first thing, Taylor was on it again and completed qualifying in P10, to enter Super Pole where the top ten would battle for 10 minute to settle the top for race three.
Race Three saw Taylor settle for 10th on the grid, as the lights went out Taylor made up some places to find a red flag appear after a truck took an excursion coming out of turn one and into the barrier. The race was neutralised and a restart in the original start order would take place.
After a delay all was ready and again Mark was on it as he crossed the line, straight into P9 and in the middle of the pack proved a difficult place to challenge. A great race pursued as Taylor tried every which way but loose to get past who was ahead, after 11 laps he had to settle for P10. After some time penalties were issued to other drivers Taylor was upgraded in the final positions to 8th 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 with nerves of steel Taylor was ready for the lights to go green as he made his way around on the formation lap.
As the lights went out Taylor had a great start, at turn one Mark was tried to be squeezed out of his commanding position but Mark gained control. By turn three it was two abreast with Taylor.
By turn five contact was made with the left rear of Taylor who took a trip over the grass to regain but further contact at turn 6 and it fell apart for him. Taylor was back in 5th place then into P6.
Taylor battled on with some damage and settled with a 6th place finish and another second step spot on the podium.
It was a fantastic weekend for Mark and the team, it was thoroughly enjoyed by them all and the excellent organisation and comradery of all the teams.
The team also came 3rd in the ETRC Teams Championship for the weekend.
Afterwards Mark Taylor 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.
He added “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 leave Poland 3rd in the Goodyear FIA ETRC Promoter’s Cup with 102 points and 11th in the Drivers European Championship, they also are 4th in the ETRC Teams Championship
The Team aims to please their UK fans when they return to racing in the UK, mid-August in between a busy European calendar for their fans in the popular Convoy in The Park at their local circuit, Donington Park contending in the International Truck Prix, and will see #81 Taylor’s Trucksport Racing in action for the four international races.
Next up is Nürburgring Circuit in Germany, 15th and 16th of July.