- Are you a bit nervous? - Very, yeah.
You're nervous when you go to the dentist and the taxman.
23 truck drivers from all over the world have gathered in Gothenburg
to take part in the 2014 world final of Volvo Trucks Drivers' Fuel Challenge.
This prestigious competition, where every drop counts,
will determine who is the world's most fuel-efficient driver.
One finalist is Tommy Walton,
a former stock car racer from the UK, who's come to Sweden
after winning the British and Irish national final in Warwick.
We decided to meet him at the airport the day before the big final.
- Welcome to Sweden. - Thank you.
I don't know what to expect. There'll be some good drivers there.
It's going to be good, I'll tell you. I must say, I'm excited.
I'd like to take something back to the UK
to say I've been over here and I've done it.
I'd like to take something back to show.
- See you in the morning hopefully. - Thank you.
Well, it's a mixed route, really.
You've got your long straights. You've got your bends.
You've got your increase and decrease on the hills.
It's very variable.
You can do a lot with the truck to get a lot of benefit out of the truck.
It's the day everybody has been waiting for.
The finalists are being welcomed at the Volvo Trucks demo centre.
Claes Nilsson, President of Volvo Trucks.
You are all winners, as you have come this far in this prestigious competition.
Before the competition starts, all the drivers get a chance
to familiarise themselves with the test track in closer detail via a bus.
My name is Andrew Low.
I'm working at the Drivers' Fuel Challenge as the competition manager.
It's interesting to see the journey all these finalists have been on.
They've competed against over 11,000 competitors to get here to the final.
Now we have 23 finalists competing against each other
and applying a lot of different strategies and techniques.
So it's going to be interesting to see who can make it through to the final
and be crowned the champion.
I'm just going to go out and do my best.
Just going to go out and drive the way I do in the UK and hope it all comes OK.
I'll try and do some people proud.
Yeah, definitely.
We'll be starting in a short while.
I think the winner today
will be the person that can adapt best to the situation.
And also keep their nerves under control. That's a huge factor, I think.
Time is up on us, I think. It's here, yeah.
From February till now and this is it. This is the trip.
Thomas Walton from the United Kingdom.
I thought it was good to get to Warwick, to the final.
Getting through Warwick and getting here's just... I can't say.
I'm over the moon.
Tommy will drive an FH 540,
and inside the truck he's monitored by a referee.
- Thank you. - Good luck.
The competition circuit is 6.9km, simulating normal driving conditions,
including roundabouts, straights, hills and even mandatory stops.
There's Thomas Walton being directed.
He'll be slowly approaching one of the first mandatory stops on the first lap.
Every competitor must complete the circuit within 13 minutes.
Even the smallest infringement,
of the competition's exacting rules, can lead to disqualification.
And having no trouble driving on the wrong side of the road.
No, us Brits can drive on any side.
The winner is the driver with the lowest fuel consumption,
measured by Volvo Truck's onboard fleet management system, Dynafleet.
Come on, lad.
That'll be Thomas Walton coming back.
- Well done, mate. - Thank you.
- Pleasure. - No problem.
I wouldn't say it's easy. No way.
Anybody who's done it today, appreciate what they have done,
because it's not easy.
We'll soon get to know, won't we?
Yeah.
Right, so the moment everyone's been waiting for very patiently.
Thank you for that.
In third position going forward: Stellan Carlsson.
In second spot: Tomi Roimola.
No, you're not through.
And in first place, going on:
Christian Scheiflinger.
More than half of them were eliminated in the first heat, so...
And I've come in the wrong half. I've done what I could.
I'm not taking anything back, but I brought the UK over here, so...
- Which is a good thing. - Yeah.
I've got to come and talk to you. But you enjoyed it? You had good fun?
I've enjoyed it from February right through till now.
You're one of the 23 most fuel-efficient truck drivers in the world.
- Yeah. - Thank you very much.
I come in at about a million and 23, so you're doing very well.
- Well done. - Thank you.