Summerfield grabs win but championship
gap widens
Published on 20th August 2009
THE latest rounds of the Delphi British Truck Racing Championship took place at the high-speed Thruxton circuit in Hampshire and saw Burton-based driver Mat Summerfield collect more points in his ERF truck. In an action-packed weekend of racing, Summerfield made an excellent start in the first race to take the lead on the opening lap, but circuit officials deemed his start was too good and he was forced to take a drive through penalty for anticipating the start. Despite this, Summerfield managed to fight back from last place to finish a creditable fifth at the finish.
In the second of the Delphi Championship races, early leader David Jenkins, in his MAN, also suffered at the hands of the officials by earning a 30-second penalty for corner cutting at the chicane, which dropped him out of the leadership battle. It was reigning champion Stuart Oliver who held on for victory ahead of the resurgent Summerfield, who put in another solid performance. The non-championship Grand Final of the Anglo-French Challenge produced some real excitement, but the foreign visitors did not get a real look-in. In a repeat of the previous weekend at Donington Park, Summerfield kept his best performance until last with a lights-to-flag victory. The mechanical engineer kept his nerve to hold an early lead while under constant threat from Jenkins in the opening laps of the race.
The duo pulled well clear of the rest of the field, but Jenkins’ challenge ended when he collected a drive through penalty for excessive kerb hopping at the chicane. Fortunately for him, he was so far in front that he still managed to return in second place and hold on for runners-up spot, with Oliver taking the final podium spot ahead of top French runner Philippe Arlaud (Renault). Speaking after the race, Sumerfield said: “It’s great to score another victory, but it would have been better to get the win in the championship race to close the points gap to Stuart Oliver.” Summerfield still lies in second place in the title race as the drivers head to the next rounds at Pembrey on October 17 and 18.
In the second of the Delphi Championship races, early leader David Jenkins, in his MAN, also suffered at the hands of the officials by earning a 30-second penalty for corner cutting at the chicane, which dropped him out of the leadership battle. It was reigning champion Stuart Oliver who held on for victory ahead of the resurgent Summerfield, who put in another solid performance. The non-championship Grand Final of the Anglo-French Challenge produced some real excitement, but the foreign visitors did not get a real look-in. In a repeat of the previous weekend at Donington Park, Summerfield kept his best performance until last with a lights-to-flag victory. The mechanical engineer kept his nerve to hold an early lead while under constant threat from Jenkins in the opening laps of the race.
The duo pulled well clear of the rest of the field, but Jenkins’ challenge ended when he collected a drive through penalty for excessive kerb hopping at the chicane. Fortunately for him, he was so far in front that he still managed to return in second place and hold on for runners-up spot, with Oliver taking the final podium spot ahead of top French runner Philippe Arlaud (Renault). Speaking after the race, Sumerfield said: “It’s great to score another victory, but it would have been better to get the win in the championship race to close the points gap to Stuart Oliver.” Summerfield still lies in second place in the title race as the drivers head to the next rounds at Pembrey on October 17 and 18.
