Welsh rugby star swaps the ruck for a truck

WALES international rugby star Scott Williams swapped his studs for driving shoes this week as the 2014 British Truck Racing Championship came to Pembrey Circuit.

The Scarlets centre was given professional tuition before taking the wheel of the 1,200bhp 5.5-tonne tractor unit himself – and nearly ending up in the crash barriers.

Despite his little off, Scott impressed his tutors and even did well enough to warrant a potential future in racing.

Former European Truck Racing Champion and ten-time British Truck Racing Champion Stuart Oliver, who was Scott's teacher for the day, said: “Scott drove superbly.

“He quickly grasped the basic principles, and his reaction times were excellent –there are no question marks at all over his control or commitment!”

The 23-year-old Welshman added: “What an amazing experience! Stuart’s driving was just awesome; he had the truck going sideways and we were flat-out round the back of the circuit.

“It was tremendously exciting and very much on the edge, but Stuart is a multiple champion in the sport and I had complete confidence in his abilities. There’s so much power and for the size and weight of the thing.”

He continued: “It certainly shifts. The throttle and brakes are so sensitive, and I did have a little heart-in-mouth moment where I went off onto the grass and could see the tyre wall coming towards me pretty quickly.

All I was thinking at that point was, ‘I’m sitting in a £100,000 truck and I’m going to have to get my chequebook out!’

Oliver was suitably impressed with his reaction, though. “A lot of people would have simply panicked and jumped on the brakes – which would have spelled disaster – but Scott calmly corrected the slide, fed the power back in and lived to fight another day.

“It was still a pretty decent lap time, too! He definitely has potential for a future career in motor sport.”

By Press Association reporter