The qualifying phase for this year's Young European Truck Driver competition is now complete and has determined the ten young drivers who will compete for the chance to represent the UK at the 2012 Young European Truck Driver Final.
The ten young truck drivers (see below for list of names) have qualified by becoming the highest scoring entrants in the online qualifying event organised by Scania (Great Britain) Limited. They will now compete in the 2012 UK Final, which is to be held at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire on Saturday 23 June. This event will decide the overall winner who will then go forward to represent the UK at the European Final in Sweden in September.
At the European Final, the UK representative will pit his or her skills against the winning young drivers from each of the other 25 participating nations for the competition's top prize of a brand new Scania R-series truck valued at 100,000 Euros.
Organised by Scania and supported by Michelin, the 2012 Young European Truck Driver is the world's largest road safety and driving skills competition, with qualifying events currently taking place across Europe.
"With our ten finalists selected from a shortlist of 400, I am delighted at the way in which Britain's young drivers have responded to the challenge of Young European Truck Driver," comments Hans-Christer Holgersson, Managing Director of Scania (Great Britain) Limited. "This is the fifth time we have run the event and the UK Final once again promises to be an exciting and hard fought contest - I would like to wish all our finalists the very best as they vie to become recognised as Britain's best young truck driver, and thereby earn the chance to go on and compete for a brand new Scania truck."
The 2012 UK Finalists
Finalist, Employer
Chris Brooker-Carey of Nelson, Lancashire Brooker-Carey Transport
Jason Lambourne of Great Finborough, Suffolk C.V. Drivers Personnel Limited
Mike Cunniffe of Hindley, Lancashire Fresh Direct
James Edgeley of Depden, Bury St Edmunds Culford Waste Limited
Chris Carter of Kempston, Bedford Bill Chippington Haulage
Gareth Orr of Robroyston, Glasgow M8 Recovery
Gareth Thomas of Monkmoor, Shrewsbury D R & F A Ford
Kevin Howard of Royal Wootton Bassett Ellens Express
Matthew Cooper, Petersfield, Hants Coo-Matt Haulage
Simon Jovanovic of Shepherds Bush, London