High Five for NAPA RACING UK in Historic BTRC Opener.
NAPA Racing UK enjoyed the perfect start to the new British Truck Racing Championship season at Brands Hatch, with five Division 2 victories from five during the opening weekend of the new season.
Paul Rivett, the reigning Division 2 champion, also secured a place in the record books as the first driver from the 'second tier' to secure an overall race victory since the two classes were combined at the start of the 2020 season.
At the wheel of his MAN TGX, Paul was the man to beat in Division 2 from the outset as he led the way in qualifying, putting his striking NAPA-liveried machine on the fourth row of the grid for the opening race - ahead of several Division 1 entries.
Rival John Powell was able to get the jump on Paul on the opening lap of the first race, with the pair then running together until Powell suffered a spin exiting Graham Hill Bend three laps from the end - allowing Paul to kick off his title defence with victory.
A straight-forward lights-to-flag class win followed in the second race of the weekend as Paul took seventh overall, earning a front-row start for race three and putting him well clear of his Division 2 rivals.
The experienced racer duly converted his front-row start into a third victory in race three, adopting a sensible approach at the start by avoiding getting up in any battles with the quicker Division 1 trucks through the opening lap before settling into the groove and picking up another win.
Having crossed the line in eighth overall, Paul would line up on pole position for the fourth race of the weekend, with the arrival of rain shortly before the start adding a fresh challenge for the drivers.
The worsening conditions would prove to be a leveller between the more powerful Division 1 trucks and Paul’s NAPA Racing UK machine, and he was able to hold the lead going through Paddock Hill Bend for the first time before edging away at the front as his rivals squabbled behind.
When the Division 1 trucks of John Bowler and Michael Oliver both slid off track at Graham Hill Bend, the decision was taken to red flag the race with Paul declared as the overall winner.
Lining up on pole again for the final race of the weekend, Paul once again led the Division 2 field through the early stages, and held fourth overall when the truck of Tom O’Rourke suffered a wild moment directly ahead coming out of the final corner.
Paul was able to avoid the Division 1 machine as O’Rourke spun off into the gravel, resulting in the action being halted to allow his truck to be recovered.
Having taken the restart in third overall, Paul was heading Division 2 when the race was halted a second time following an off for Steven Powell at Paddock Hill Bend, and was heading John Powell at the front of Division 2 when another red flag caused by David Smith skating off at Druids led to the race being called.
A near-perfect weekend therefore ended with Paul taking Division 2 victory in all five races, alongside the class pole and four fastest laps - giving him the early championship lead ahead of round two at Pembrey in mid-May.