2020 Season Review: BTRA British Truck Racing Championship

Heavyweight thrills and spills formed the backbone of what was a shortened BTRA British Truck Racing Championship in 2020 as Ryan Smith and Steven Powell reigned supreme to claim championship silverware in Division 1 and Division 2 respectively.

Weighing in at more than five tonnes and producing in excess of 1000bhp, the titans of truck racing served up a feast of unmissable wheel-to-wheel entertainment for the enthusiastic crowds that flocked trackside.

Despite the calendar comprising of just three events – Donington Park, Snetterton and Thruxton – no less than 14 races were staged over the course of the season, each one setting pulses racing.

Division 1 saw the familiar theme of Smith underlining his superlative racecraft by being crowned champion for a fifth consecutive year. Having been the man to beat over the past four seasons, the MAN driver entered the season as the hot favourite and duly delivered another vintage title-winning performance.

Kicking his campaign off with a double win at Donington Park, Smith added another victory at Snetterton before really hitting his stride when the series descended on what would ultimately prove to be the final round of the season at Thruxton.

Former champions David Jenkins and Stuart Oliver, as well as front running protagonists Martin Gibson and John Newell, found themselves in the battle for supremacy as each round passed too, setting up what was set to be a grandstand finish.

Unfortunately, the introduction of a second national lockdown prior to the series finale at Brands Hatch caused the event to be cancelled, subsequently crowning Smith as champion by a handful of points.

In Division 2, Powell paired rapid speed with consistency to wrap up the title. After narrowly missing out on the crown to Luke Garrett during the past two years, the MAN racer made a lightening start as he won four out of five races at the season-opener.

Establishing himself as the lead contender following his virtuoso performance under the flightpath of East Midlands airport, Powell would go on to score a further four wins across the remaining two events to wrap up the title.

Whilst Powell and Garrett went head-to-head for the coveted crown, other notable performers included Craig Reid, John Powell and Craig Evans.