Here's What Happens When A Racing Truck Gets A Stuck Throttle

Once upon a time, someone decided to see how fast a lorry could go if you took the trailer off, gave it a boatload of power and stuck it on a circuit. And lo, racing trucks were born and a new racing series followed suit. Racing trucks are huge and awesome – fun for all the family.

Unless, of course, something goes wrong. And at Thruxton race circuit over the weekend, that’s exactly what happened. Series newcomer Neil Yates of Team NY Racing was progressing nicely in a race during the third round of the British Truck Racing Championship when the throttle pedal of his #33 DAF stuck to the floor.

The result was an accident that we presume the car-orientated Armco and catch fencing weren’t quite prepared for. Neil and his DAF rode up the barrier, through the fence and flipped over, annihilating a marshal’s shed as they went. Thankfully the shed was empty, there were no spectators in the truck’s tumbling path and Neil emerged from the battered cabin shortly afterwards, shaken but basically fine. The truck may need a bit of restoration work, however.

A racing truck weighs north of five tonnes, with a tuned engine pushing out north of 1000bhp and 3,600lb ft of torque. While top speeds are limited to 100mph, the trucks have their suspension lowered and stiffened to make for frankly ludicrous cornering ability. It’s spectacular to watch, even if things go smoothly. We’d recommend sitting a little way back from the fence, however.