Next weekend sees the British Truck Racing Championship kick-off at Brands Hatch with a whole host of support races.
The grid will also include the truck championship’s first husband and wife team who will be racing at their home track.
Wayne and Joanne Eason from Lydd in Kent met through motorsport but they haven’t competed together for 20 years. And they’ll be racing against 18 other drivers in 1,000 horsepower trucks that weigh over five tonnes and race wheel-to-wheel at speeds of up to 100mph!
The couple met whilst racing karts, said Wayne: “She was lorry mad and I was a commercial vehicle technician at the time, and I think it all started when she wanted to go out for a ride in the lorry.” Joanne added: “He knew me before I knew him because he used to get his engines done by my stepdad.”
The Easons will be fitting in their racing commitments with running racing team WDE Motorsport and looking after their four children, aged between 5 and 14. “We are very much a motorsport household,” Wayne said, whilst Joanne added: “I’m indoors and he’s out and about. But we’re like best mates, soulmates. He has his life and I have mine.”
Next weekend they’ll have plenty of time to spend together on track and they don’t expect the competitive environment to create tension. “Joanne will get a little bit more respect,” Wayne said. “Joanne will be no slouch and she’ll give me and the others a run for their money, she’s very competitive.
Joanne jokes: “He’ll probably bash me off but I won’t do it to him. He’ll have to catch me first!”
The competitive instinct takes over when it comes to who will be fastest. Wayne said: “I am of course!” Joanne counters with a more considered response: “I was the quickest in karts, but I’m not sure in trucks, I’m just feeling my feet at the moment. I hope to be quicker.”
It’s Joanne’s first race in the rough-and-tumble world of trucks, but Wayne has a year of experience in the championship, and has just upgraded to a title-winning truck from last year. Their rivals will include a strong Kent contingent that includes another racing family, championship-winning siblings Steven and Graham Powell, who both live close to the circuit.
Fun for all ages on and off track at Brands Hatch Truck Racing event
The British Truck Racing Championship’s season-opening weekend at Brands Hatch will feature six races, with four on the Sunday, and employs a reverse-grid system which ensures that the fastest drivers must fight their way to the front of the field.
The event will also include a packed programme of support action, including American-style Pickup Trucks, miniature Legends retro racers, Caterhams, Quaife Motorsport Saloons and Citroen 2CVs, which despite their humble nature, often race five-abreast into the corners.
The weekend’s family theme continues off-track, with a feast of fun for all ages to enjoy on the Sunday. A free Kidspace marquee will keep children entertained during the school holiday weekend, with activities including soft play, balloon modelling and face painting. Both young and old can climb onto the Red Dragon Monster Truck and jump over obstacles in a special arena. There will also be a funfair, a huge showtruck display, go-karting and rally car rides available.