Truck racer Simon sets his sights on becoming British champion

Potteries truck racer Simon Reid has announced his arrival in the higher echelons of the BTRA British Truck Racing Championship by clinching fourth place this season.

A new engine brought more reliability to his Iveco Stralis which gave him the chance to show his driving skills and compete with the championship elite, claiming two race wins and 11 podiums during the season.

To build on his success, Simon, 35, is now planning to build a new Iveco Stralis truck over the winter to bring him up to speed in time for the 2019 championship.

Having built an Iveco Stralis truck for his younger brother Craig, 33, this year, the team knows exactly what’s needed. Despite missing the first meeting of the season at Brands Hatch while the truck was being completed, Craig still managed to finish sixth in Division Two in his debut campaign, recording one race win.

The brothers both work for the family business, Reid Freight Services in Stoke-on-Trent. Finding time to devote to the truck building while helping to run a busy company, which has a fleet of 35 lorries carrying cargo across the UK and Europe, is a challenge.

But Simon is confident the new truck will be ready and lining up on the starting grid next spring.

“I really am chuffed because it has been my best season to date in Division One, but also the first year when I haven’t suffered with truck reliability issues,” said Simon. “We have been able to knuckle down and get to grips with the top drivers.

“Fitting a reliable engine and making a few modifications has help to speed up the truck and put us on the podium. One of the highlights for the team was beating the European Championship trucks.

“We are now planning to build a new truck. It’s the only way to move forward because everything gets faster every year. It’s no mean feat to build a new truck but, having built Craig’s this year, we’ve got a head start.

“We aim to put everything that we have learnt this year into the new truck to give us a chance of winning the championship next year. I think we have a great chance because it’s very close at the top, but you have to be on the ball all the time because the moment you relax, the leading bunch has disappeared.”

He is looking forward to locking horns again with friend and racing rival Dave Jenkins from neighbouring Stone, who finished runner up to champion Ryan Smith this season. Like Jenkins, he believes that competing in the European Championship gives some of the drivers a competitive advantage.

Simon is sponsored by Shrewsbury-based Morris Lubricants, one of Europe’s leading oil blenders and marketers, who have been supplying all the engine and hydraulic oil for Reid Freight Services for five years.

“I think Morris Lubricants’ products are the best on the market and we won’t use anything else,” he said.

The company is delighted that Simon, a Morris Lubricants Racing ambassador, has made excellent progress this season and has already signed up to repeat the sponsorship in 2019.