Round 1 & 2 - Brands Hatch

Pickup Truck Racing welcomed race fans to Brands Hatch for rounds one and two of the 2009 season.

The new season saw new drivers to the championship and a new qualifying system, new grid line up and the introduction of success ballast.

The qualifying session was split into two segments, to determine grids for race one and two. In true Pickup style the boss Sonny Howard was never going to make it easy for the drivers or teams so had taken the top ten qualifiers and reversed their position on the grid. This placed tenth position driver on pole and the top qualifier in tenth position, with all respective position changed in between.

Success ballast was issued to the podium placed drivers. A win gets 30Kg, second 20 Kg and third 10Kg. On inheriting the ballast it can only be removed in 10Kg increments by being out of the top three positions. The changes introduced will bring the racing closer creating equal opportunities for all competitors and make racing that was already very good even better.

The weekend saw the return of the established stars of 2008 to Brands Hatch and some new faces as well.  From Seat and Eurocar, Mike Doble, who has teamed up with NASCAR Sky pundit John Mickel in the RSCapp Truck. Greg Wood an ex Super Silhouette driver competing in the ex Mark Willis Truck. Mark Jones a privateer of Touring Cars has teamed up with Carl Boardley, the National Hot Rod World Champion.  Finally Stuart Annible has stepped down from the spotter gantry at Rockingham to take on the role of driver for the Just 4 Fun team. Five very competent drivers each wanting to establish their authority on the Championship. Kelly Jayne Wells is supporting the Cancer Research Charity and will be carrying their decals for the 2009 season.

The two eighteen lap races placed only two and a half hours tested the abilities of the gladiatorial drivers and the teams race engineers especially after their long winter break and saw five different drivers on the podium.

Photographs courtesy of www.snappyracers.com & www.davidswandesign.com