Cup Racers Prepare for Oulton Park Battle

08 July 2004

The Volkswagen Racing Cup enters the second half of its season next weekend (17/18 July) with twin races at Oulton Park and the battle for championship honours finely poised.

Reigning champion Rob Carvell (Coventry) leads the Cup competitors north, but his advantage has been whittled down to just 24 points by Yorkshireman Philip House, whose 2.8-litre Beetle RSi should be well suited to the Cheshire circuit.

But Carvell's nimble Scirocco GTI ought to be competitive also, even though its 1.8-litre engine gives away up to 70 PS to some of its rivals. Rob, 29, took twin wins at Donington in April and is hungry for more, while 23-year-old House, a race winner at Croft in May, needs further victories to maintain his title bid.

Hertfordshire's Ken Lark, the winner of this season's other three races in his Corrado VR6, can also be expected to maintain his challenge. But Ken is tipping local hero Steve Walker (Stockport) for a good result: 'Steve won both races at Oulton the last time the championship was there, in 2002, and he will be hard to beat if his car is on form.'

Walker's Mk IV Golf Turbo hasn't had the best of seasons thus far, but Steve says major technical revisions have brought it nearer the pace: 'We've changed the suspension dramatically and we found the handling much improved in testing at Oulton, so I'm hopeful of a good result.'

Walker's twin Oulton wins in 2002 came at the wheel of a Golf VR6, and this very car finds a new pilot next weekend in the shape of Gloucester's Steve Wood. 'It's still a very quick car,' says Walker, 'and there's little doubt that it will be very competitive.'

With a field approaching 30 cars, there is no shortage of potential race winners. Championship third-place man Craig Inskip (Northiam) will be bidding for victory with his Golf Turbo, as will Staffordshire's Mark Smith at the wheel of his turbocharged Bora.

Isle of Man resident Paul Lloyd-Roach is meanwhile to debut the light and powerful new Polo TDI, bringing to five the number of turbodiesels on the Racing Cup grid. Lloyd Allard (Cheltenham) and Mark Thomas (Weybridge) will be in action in their Golf TDIs, while the New Golf 2.0 TDI will be handled by Mail on Sunday motoring columnist Russell Bray. Following its encouraging debut at Snetterton last month, the New Caddy van will once more be competing, with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles director Peter Wyhinny at the wheel.

Joining House in the Beetle brigade will be TV motoring journalist Jason Barlow, Martin Rutherford (Little Chalfont), Dave Turner (Stonehouse), Paul Dukes (Newark) and Steve Dorrell (Speen), with Golfs of varying vintage in the hands of 22-year-old Claire Tippet, from Cheltenham; Paul Sanderson (Sidcup); Andrew Smith (Sale) and Alex Dziurzynski (Exeter).

Father-and-son racers Barrie and Martyn Culley, from Berkshire, will meanwhile pilot their Vento VR6s alongside the similar cars of Westcountrymen Grant Woodhatch, Jonathan Giles and Michael Kurton. The 2001 champion, Mike Neuhoff (Northants), is expected also in his Corrado VR6, with Polo G40 competitor Andrew Boakes (Sevenoaks) completing the line-up.

The championship's seventh round is scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday 17 July, with round eight the following afternoon.

See 2004 series calendar for VW Racing Cup

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