The final major event of the Brands Hatch centenary season drew a large crowd to witness the title-deciding races of the British Truck Racing Championship alongside a large firework display. David Jenkins claimed the headline truck championship, ending a 15-year wait for his second title.
Truck Racing and Pickup Truck Drama
Driving a MAN TGX, Jenkins relied on season-long consistency and benefited from early race drama on Saturday when championship rival Stuart Oliver landed in the gravel trap at Druids, and third-placed Craig Reid was spun around at Graham Hill Bend. Jenkins won the restarted race and followed up with a victory in race two, placing one hand on the championship trophy. A fifth-place finish in race three secured the title for the Stafford competitor, while Oliver claimed victories in both race three and race four. The final race of the weekend was called off in near-darkness following two red flags, with three racing laps confirming Simon Reid as the race winner in his Iveco and Callum Eason as the Division 2 champion in his MAN.
In the Pickup Trucks category, a four-race weekend—which included a rescheduled event from Donington Park—settled the championship battle between Aaron Thompson, Allen Cooper, and Dale Gent. Thompson suffered persistent mechanical troubles all weekend despite taking one race win, allowing Cooper to claim the crown. Cooper benefited from a timely stoppage in the fourth race due to a first-corner incident just as his throttle cable broke. Earlier, Chris Brockhurst took his first Pickup win after a chaotic final lap in race one, while Gent won the carried-over Donington race ahead of Mark Willis, Cooper, and Thompson. David O’Regan crossed the line first in race three but received a penalty, handing the victory to Thompson, with Hills and Cooper following. Hills won the final race ahead of O’Regan and Gent, while Cooper started from the pit lane to finish seventh and secure the championship crown.
TCR UK, Civic Cup, and Mini Challenge Decisions
Max Hart faced severe engine trouble during TCR UK qualifying, damaging his championship prospects as Callum Newsham drove his Hyundai to a lights-to-flag victory in the opening race. Hart’s team fitted a new engine and gearbox for his Audi, enabling him to charge from the back of the grid to win race two. Newsham finished sixth in that race but secured the championship title by winning the final encounter.
In the Civic Cup, championship contenders Dave Marshall and Alistair Camp finished first and second in the first race. A partially reversed grid for the second race increased the tension, and Camp narrowly escaped a first-corner incident before charging through the field to eighth. Although he put in a strong recovery, only a race victory could prevent Marshall from taking the championship.
Defending Mini Challenge Trophy champion Alex Keens faced stiff competition from Graves Motorsport team-mate Matt Luff. Josh Selvadorai won the opening race ahead of Keens and Luff, while Luca Marinoni Osborne won the second race with Luff second and Keens sixth. Selvadorai drove clear in the final race to claim the rookie title, while Keens and Luff engaged in a fierce battle for positions. Harry Smith won the finale, followed by Luff and Keens, with the points haul proving sufficient for Keens to secure back-to-back titles.
