Tata T Prima truck racing

Tata Prima T1 Truck Racing 2015 Report and Images: Stuart Oliver of Team Castrol Victon emerges winner

Tata Prima T1 Truck Racing 2015

Tata Motors had organized the second edition of the Tata Prima T1 truck racing at the Buddh International circuit on 14th and 15th of March 2015. The aim of the company was to change the perception of trucks and truck drivers in India and add some much needed glamour to the trucking industry. For this, 12 identical T1 Prima trucks were forged at the Tata Motors plant in Jamshedpur.

Images and report: Samar Narayan

Tata T1 Prima truck racing 2015 (41)

The 6 teams that competed this year were, along with their respective drivers-

– Team Castrol Vecton – Stuart Oliver, OlyJanes
– Team Cummins – Mat Summerfield, Simon Reid
– Team Tata Technologies Motorsports- David Jenkins, Steven Powell
– Team Allied Partners- Steve Rothery, Chris Levett
– Team Dealer Warriors- Richard Collett, Graham Powell
– Team Dealer Daredevils- Ben Horne, Paul Alan McCumisky

The Trucks

Tata T1 Prima truck racing 2015 (4)

It is a 4038.S tractor fitted with a Cummins ISLe 8.9-liter diesel. The engine is mated to a 9-speed Eaton gearbox. Drivetrain specifications are just like the ones sold in the market. The engine has been tuned for racing, resulting in an improvement in acceleration & overall performance. The engine produces 370 BHP @ 2100 RPM and max torque of 1550 Nm @ 1300 rpm. And the endearing question of “Kitnadetihai?”  A mere 1.5 Km/L!

This time round the trucks had their top speed limited to 135 kmph from last year’s 110 Kmph and also underwent weight reduction which yielded better acceleration times as well.

The Racing Experience

Tata T1 Prima truck racing 2015 (12)

The moment one of these Behemoths passes you by on the main straight at the BIC and the first impression that you get is of disbelief. The very idea that a huge truck cab with the aerodynamics of a brick can reach such speeds goes against your intuition. The other thing which you immediately notice is the distinct two tone sound of the trucks massive engine, One the bassy grumble of the pistons of the engine and the other high pitch whine of the massive turbo. It is indeed orchestra for any petrolhead out there.

Tata T1 Prima truck racing 2015 (11)

On 14th March the practice sessions were on where each driver was set loose on the track to try and find their line and get more accustomed to the trucks. The team would be waiting eagerly for the driver to return and then listen to whatever changes the driver would want and his overall feedback.

15th March saw a 8 lap super qualifier along with the 16 lap race. However the rain gods were not too pleased that day and it had started to rain right from morning. It would indeed be a test for all these drivers to drive these RWD behemoths on wet surface. The crowd had turned up in large numbers and the grand stands were almost completely full.

Tata T1 Prima truck racing 2015 (28)

The race itself was action packed with lots of sideways action at each and every corner as the surface was quite wet even though it had stopped raining.

Stuart Oliver of Team Castrol Vecton defended his Tata Motors T1 Prima truck racing title at the Buddh International Circuit and came out victorious . The ten-time British Truck Racing Champion fought off Steve Thomas of Team Allied Partners until the very end with many moments of them side by side on the main straight, giving much reason to cheer for the crowds. Simon Reid of Team Tata Technologies finished third completing the top 3 positions.

Tata T1 Prima truck racing 2015 (2)

Stuart Oliver, Winning Driver of Castrol Vecton team said “It is always an amazing feeling to be the defending champion and I would like to thank Team Castrol Vecton for their continuous support and belief in me. I would not miss out the opportunity to thank all the fans for coming out and cheering for all the drivers. I look forward for the next season of the championship.”

Check out an image gallery of the event below.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top