So, to be frank, a disaster in many ways, for Team CTS.
The old Volvo had been scrapped during the offseason, with the exception of some major components and some other minor bits and pieces. The team had acquired a new fabricated chassis / subframe some years ago. This had been made with the intention of being turned into a race truck but that had never happened. This race chassis became the basis for Archie’s new truck, along with some components from the old Volvo, some parts nicked from his dad (when he was not looking – Si’s spare engine mainly) and lots of new components supplied by our wonderful sponsors including the cab.
Countless hours were spent fabricating, welding, sanding, spraying, rewiring and adding the necessary compressed air and water systems to the new truck. A replacement front axle also became available towards the very end of the build, and this was acquired. However, when the axle was received the mounting bolts were in a different position. This necessitated reworking the front suspension, and parts of the chassis needed to be modified to facilitate this. In the end, it was not possible to complete what should have been a simple job, within the remaining time before Brands Hatch. Archie was unable to take the new truck to the meeting.
We were very kindly offered a “loan” race truck, from last year, and had sight of that the Wednesday before the meeting. Archie’s engine and gearbox were removed from his new truck and put into the borrowed MAN. However, several components had been removed from the truck. Despite all of the efforts of the team, right through until early morning on Sunday, it was not possible to get the truck out onto the track.
Simon was equally unlucky at this meeting. During the off season “Frankie” had had a complete engine rebuild to refresh it for the new season. This ensured maximum performance with new piston rings, a new liner and a brand new turbocharger. Four laps into the testing on Friday the turbocharger had a catastrophic failure, dramatically covering the track in dense smoke. This sent a multitude of pieces of aluminium swarf and fragments into the inlet side of the engine. Friday afternoon saw the team rebuild the engine, including changing three of the six heads. This was due to damage sustained to the valve seats. Following a test on Saturday morning, the engine was stripped again, and a piston and con rod were changed. When the turbo failed substantial amounts of oil had also gone through the engine. Usually, the engine operates on air, as a compressible fluid, but oil is incompressible which had caused damage to the connection rod.
So, we missed a test session on Friday, rebuilding the top ½ of the engine, and we missed the qualifying on Saturday rebuilding the front ½ of the engine, but at last is sounded right again, so onto the track for Race 1.
By the time the race trucks were ready to form up on the grid, “Frankie” was leaking diesel around the top of the fuel tank, and the rear of the engine. Simon pulled the truck into pit lane to try and understand the issue. It was not possible to compete with a possibility of spilling diesel onto the racetrack creating a slippery area and causing crashes.
Frankie returned to the track Saturday afternoon, for race two, in full working order. However, on the 1st corner of the 1st lap with Frankie on the outside of the bend, the race truck on the inside lost control and started to spin. The rear wheel of the inside truck hitting “Frankie” hard in the side; and then the front corner of the cab went into the passenger door of Frankie, sending her into the gravel trap.
The door and the side of the cab had been pushed in by about 8 inches also damaging the rear corner of the race truck, including the roof and the rear panel too. Rules state that even though this was not the driver’s door it still needs to be operational with a working latch in case the driver needs to escape. The team had brought a spare door in any case, so this was quickly prepared. With various hydraulic tools, we were able to pull the side of the cab outwards, to more or less match the panel line of the replacement door. The side skirts and body panels were removed, tidied up where possible, patched with tape and cable ties and reattached. It was a long night.
This was the first time the team had been involved in an incident causing damage for many seasons.
“Frankie” the race truck was ready for race 3 first thing Sunday morning, but again had excess diesel returning from the engine to the tank pressurising the tank and leaking. In hindsight we believe that this was a result of the fragments of aluminium from the turbocharger being ingested by the engine. While this engine had been fully refurbished during the off season, we had raced it for a number of years and never had any issues with diesel leaks before. Once again, we returned to the pits and in this instance re plumbed part of the fuel system in the hope that this would prevent the problem recurring.
So back on the track for the fourth race of the weekend and the second on Sunday. For once everything was going more or less right. We were on the pace of the leading division 2 trucks and making excellent progress on the track, having got up to second place. If anything, we were catching the leader with around 1/3 race distance remaining. On the approach to the hair pin the competitor immediately behind us decided to use “our” brakes instead of his own, He careered into the rear of “Frankie” sending us straight on, and into the gravel again. The race was close to its end, so there we remained for the duration, with the front of the truck embedded in the gravel.
Once more to the pits. While the damage to the bumper was significant, it would have been possible to repair it if we had had the right tools and perhaps the assistance of the recovery guys and other teams. However, with the continuing fuel problems in addition to this, the team decided to call it a day, load up and go home
So, two accidents causing significant damage in two races at the same meeting, and many pieces of aluminium swarf and oil ingested into a freshly rebuilt engine, when a brand new turbo failed.
A disappointing weekend overall, but we will be back of course, stronger maybe, but certainly not so tired! So onwards, upwards, or just sideways (knowing us) and into the 2026 season – see you there.
A huge thank you to our supporters, we will be back !
Check out our “Gallery” page for more pictures from the event!
Thanks to Weavers and Povey Transport who are helping us get around – so thank you, without you we would be stuck at home in Aylesford!
THANK YOU to ALL our wonderful sponsors, especially LPM and TTP; to the businesses who help us out in kind, or with cash (although we accept cheques too of course!), we could NOT do this without you ALL. No matter how big or small your help – this team of family and friends could not do this without YOU. YOU made it possible for Simon, and Archie, putting father and son on the track. THANK YOU. (but we always need more help of course).
Please check out our “Partners” page to find out more about our sponsors.
See us all, cheer on Archie and Simon and “THINK PINK” at the Circuits if you can – we are always happy to chat and show you our race trucks. Unless we are repairing them of course, in which case best to give us some space to work safely.
If you cannot visit the track, then remember to check out the “BARC” live feed on YouTube – or of course on “catch up” later.
CTS#41 and CTS#40; Simon, Archie, John, Colin, Sam, Toby, Martin, Lou, Olivier, Zeki and Kev.
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