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Trucks are usually limited to 90km/h, for obvious reasons. Lots of weight and lots of speed are a dangerous combination, so when you see not only one, but a grid of trucks touching 160km/h as they race wheel to wheel it tends to blow your mind a little...
The first weekend of September sees the BTRA (British Truck Racing Association) return to Mondello Park, with ten entrants taking part in demonstration races over the two days as part of the Mondello Truck Show. These ungainly-looking machines have over 1,100hp, and use many standard production-derived parts. With each truck approaching six tonnes in weight, water cooling is necessary to keep the massive brakes from overheating, and the cab bears a closer resemblance to a plane's cockpit than a comfy long-haul office. No sleeper cabs here!
The racing tends to be quite close, with the regulations designed to ensure parity between trucks. All the major manufacturers are represented, with everything from the latest Volvos to old Fodens and ERFs battling it out on track. The sheer size of the machines mean that even the widest racetracks get a bit too narrow for comfort at times, and while it's officially classed as a non-contact sport, incidents do happen...
If this sounds appealing, check out www.mondellopark.ie for more details on timetables and all the rest. It certainly promises to be more entertaining than the motorway slipstreaming battles that take place between regular trucks on your daily commute...