Reigning British Truck Racing Champion Ryan Smith is eyeing an unmatched milestone in 2025. The Englishman is setting out on the quest to lift ten, back-to-back titles in the British Truck Racing Championship – a feat never been done before. With one race meeting completed at Brands Hatch, the series heads to Pembrey in south Wales for Convoy Cymru this weekend (17-18 May) with another five blockbuster races lined-up.

The British Automobile Racing Club caught up with the man carrying the number one on the doors, as he spoke about his 2025 hopes, the new regulations, growth of the sport and his long lasting legacy.

Ryan, it’s good to be back racing – are you happy to get going again for a new challenge?

“After the winter, it’s always good to get going – with the new regs and restrictors from Trucksport and BARC we had a chance to test pre-season and have a good build-up and feeling – it’s great to be back.”

The restrictor in which Smith is referring to, are new air restrictors fitted to the truck turbos in 2025. Reducing air flow into the spooling turbo – this creates less power and these are bestowed to the three fastest trucks after every weekend. They come in three different sizes – 63mm, 65mm and 67mm and are fitted to the top-tier Division One trucks based on performance. The top three in the standings in 2024 received them ahead of round one and ahead of Pembrey – the top three in the standings after Brands Hatch will carry them in Wales – creating an exciting moveable feast that gets played out over the course of the season to keep the racing action nice and close.

“We all got together – Motorsport UK, BARC, Trucksport and all the drivers to talk about it. We have won the title nine-times on the bounce which is an amazing feat, but BARC and Trucksport have a duty of care to all competitors and spectators and the fans to make it more interesting. Do we feel hard done by, yes, but we respect the regulation and we will rise to the challenge and get on with it and at Brands Hatch it didn’t hold us back too much.”

And that it didn’t, as Ryan and his Worldwide Truck Racing team haul their way to Pembrey with an 11 point lead at the top of the standings. But, putting it into real terms – what does the restrictor mean for the series – now it’s had a weekend in action.

“The power difference is big from the rolling start – once we get rolling and seems to be better – but we are between 200-300 horsepower which does hurt a lot. Out of the slower corners at Pembrey – it will be hard – but nothing in life worth having is easy. Spectators want to see different winners and they want to see good racing and I hope we can provide that for them with this. I do get it and I understand it, as the championship is heading in the right direction. Does it hurt us, yes – but it will probably even out over the year, and I hope by the time the championship comes back to Brands Hatch in November it will be close. Ideally with us ahead!

One thing that is clear and evident to see is the close racing and accessibility of the championship, with fans, families and first time spectators all getting close to the machines and gladiators with everyone welcomed with open arms into a very friendly paddock. Ryan is one of the most popular figures with fans young and old in search of the elusive selfie or signature.

“When Ben Taylor came into BARC, and got working closer with Trucksport – the sport has gone from strength to strength. BARC are trying to make it as fair and exciting as possible and that’s great as the sport is growing – the crowds are growing. The amount of people that came onto the grid at Brands Hatch and said ‘wow this is the first time i’ve been truck racing – I love it – i’ll be back’ is mega.I think that’s what truck racing has. It is a unique motorsport – it’s the biggest billboard in motorsport – it has an opportunity to grow at a rate of touring cars and so on in this country and we feel we are in the right hands with BARC.”

Smith hailing from Mansfield might have nine titles to his name, but has only been racing the big behemoths for 11 years. Truck racing isn’t necessarily something you just wake up and decide to do. Or is it?

“I did drifting previously and my Dad was an engineer for a team called Translitre for Barry Lee and Paul Mac in trucks. He was the chief mechanic and in the nineties, I used to come and watch the racing as a child and the owner – Ken Howard was someone I looked up to. I forgot about truck racing for many years until my brother rang me out of the blue one day and said – ‘have a guess where I am…watching truck racing at Brands Hatch.’ Three days later I had a race truck and the rest is history.

With nine titles under the belt – you would think the Daimler Freightliner driver would be packing-up, being quite content with his laurels, but think again, with another six race weekends still to play out – the target has been set for Smith and he is like a bull ready to charge.

“The fire is still there for me – the quest for 10 pumps me up even more – I want the 10th title – I really want to be the best British guy of all time to have raced a truck and to try and leave a legacy in a sport that’s growing and growing and going places. Will somebody come along and knock me off – of course they will… just not today.”

You will be able to see Ryan Smith continue his title defence and his strive to become a ten-time British Truck Racing champion at Pembrey this weekend. Those who can’t be trackside can also enjoy a ringside seat with all five races broadcast on the BARC and British Truck Racing YouTube channels across Saturday and Sunday.