The Volkswagen Racing Cup accelerates into overdrive in the coming weeks, with two rounds next weekend [September 23/24] at Silverstone and the finale of the Hankook-backed championship just a week later at
Thruxton.
It's a tense time for the chief title protagonists Lloyd Allard, Paul Taylor and Martyn Culley – each of whom knows that winning the crown will require consistency over the coming four races, and more than a little luck.
With drivers counting all their scores from the season's 12 events, failing to finish any of them is a major blow – as Basingstoke-based Culley found to his cost last time out, at
Brands Hatch, when he rolled and badly damaged his Vento VR6.
It's been touch and go whether 27-year-old Martyn would be able to complete the season. "After the accident I was convinced that was it for the year," he said, "but people have rallied around to help me out and get the car back on track for
Silverstone.
"It needed a lot of straightening out plus new wings, doors, bonnet, windscreen and exhaust system, and a lot of new suspension equipment. It's been a real hard slog to get it ready and I'm very grateful to everyone who has helped, especially Allard Turner Motor Racing, Storm Developments, Wigmores and Newbury Paints." Martyn hopes that his father Barrie's Vento – also rolled at Brands – will be fit for action too.
Culley Junior lies third in the championship, 46 points off the top, but has a card up his sleeve in that he's the only driver in the top four yet to have played his Joker, which will double his score in one of the remaining four races.
Lloyd Allard moved into the championship lead at Brands Hatch, scene of one of his two wins this year in the ATMR Golf TDI. The 30-year-old from Cheltenham has finished on the podium six times in his last six outings, and the long straights of both Silverstone and Thruxton should suit his powerful turbodiesel.
But the autumn weather could yet prove to be his undoing – if it's wet at either circuit then Paul Taylor's four-wheel-drive Golf R32 will have a definite edge. The Hertfordshire driver was a race winner at
Oulton Park,
Donington Park and
Snetterton and his Big Boys Toys-backed machine is sure to be hard to overcome whatever the weather.
In addition to Taylor, Allard and Culley, two other drivers this season have tasted race victory – Beetle drivers both. Martin Rutherford won round two at Oulton Park in his Citygate-backed, turbo-engined example with Swanley's Tony Gilham claiming his maiden championship win last time out at Brands Hatch with the Regal Autosport RSi. Both men will be looking to add to their victory tallies at Silverstone.
Others hoping to end their seasons on a high note include new-model Golf GTI pilots Steve Wood, Mike Kurton and Michael McInerney, as well the Exeter-based Dziurzynski brothers, Alex with his Corrado and Adrian his Mk 2 Golf GTI.
Bora pilot Joe Fulbrook will be in action also, as will ever-improving 17-year-old Solihull-based Beetle driver Darelle Wilson, who will benefit from having fellow racer Craig Inskip as his team chief.
Fresh from their Silverstone 24 Hours success, Ken Lark and John Quartermaine will be returning to sprint racing with their Corrado and Golf, while SEAT boss Peter Wyhinny will be looking for another good result in his Caddy TDI.
Also confirmed for Silverstone are Beetle racers Paul Lloyd-Roach and Steve Chaplin, Golf VR6 pilots Tony Harberman and Jamie Turner, Vento men Grant Woodhatch and Damian Gray, and Caddy pilot Giles Lock.
Former British Rally champion Gwyndaf Evans will be at the wheel of the 'celebrity' Polo GTI.
