Championship leader Steve Chaplin heads the entry for Bank Holiday Monday’s (30 Aug) twin rounds of the Volkswagen Racing Cup with Fuchs Lubricants at Snetterton.

Chaplin, whose ‘Herbie’ Beetle is out in front by a 60-point margin with six races remaining, has won only once this season but has made five further podium visits in addition. He may struggle at Snetterton to add to his victory tally as the Norfolk track has not traditionally been a Beetle circuit - Golfs, a Vento and a Bora have won every race there since 2005.

Didge Dziurzynski was one of the winners there last year, and his Silverstone outings last weekend marked something of a return to form after several off-the-pace races. Didge’s West End Precision Golf was the round one victor at Oulton Park in April.

Golf GTI pilot Peter Felix has the momentum currently, having added a Silverstone win to his second-round victory. Aaron Mason is the other 2010 race winner in action next weekend.

One of Chaplin’s closest points challengers, Paul Taylor, has both yet to win a race this season and Snetterton might prove his best chance. Taylor and his four-wheel-drive Golf R32 have won four times here over the last five seasons and recent revisions to the car’s suspension have given the weighty machine better late-race pace to match its outstanding prowess off the startline.

James Walker is another overdue a race win, and his Golf and that of his brother, Daniel, will be in action, fielded by KPM Racing alongside the championship’s youngest competitor, 16-year-old Zoe Wenham, in her Polo.

The diversity of the Volkswagen Racing Cup field is the key to its popularity, and there are Snetterton entries also for the redoubtable RAC-liveried Caddy van racer of Simon Elliott, the SEAT Leon of SEAT UK boss Peter Wyhinny, Michael McInerney’s Jetta, the Sciroccos of Mike Kurton and Kieran Griffin, and the Beetle of Tony Harberman. Both Griffin and Harberman are hoping to return to the championship next weekend after breaking bones while taking part in other sports.

Golf GTIs are well represented, of course, with Phil Morris, Simon Andrews, Tim Snaylam and Martyn Walsh all bidding for success. After the success of achieving a 28-car field at Silverstone, grid numbers have taken a knock due to the Bank Holiday clash; championship promoter RacingLine expects 19 cars to take part.

The Volkswagen Racing Cup with Fuchs Lubricants is additionally supported by Augustus Martin, Ceva Logistics, ECM Vehicle Delivery, Hankook, Milltek Sport, KW Automotive, Superchips and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.