Thruxton Thriller in Store for Cup Racers
20 August 2004
After a season of surprises and different race winners the Volkswagen
Racing Cup is set for its fastest meeting of the season in Hampshire
over the Bank Holiday
weekend (29/30 August), and a potentially fascinating tussle for championship
dominance is in store.
For although several drivers arrive at Thruxton with a mathematical
shot at claiming title honours, it's shaping up to be a two-way duel
down to the wire between
reigning title-holder Rob Carvell, 29, and his nimble Scirocco GTI and the powerful
Beetle RSi of Philip House.
Coventry-based Carvell has won three rounds - two at Donington in April
and at Oulton Park last month - while 23-year-old House (Ripley,
North Yorks) has racked
up two victories, at Croft and also at Oulton. Thirty-two points separates title
favourite Rob from his pursuer.
House, whose Ripley Caravan Park-backed Beetle has just undergone a
ground-up
rebuild, is relishing the Thruxton challenge: "It's a very, very fast circuit
and it should suit my car's gearing perfectly. Thruxton is all about driver bravery,
and I firmly intend to close my eyes and go for it.
"When I started the season I was not expecting to be so competitive;
I was aiming to be in the top 10 but not in a position to challenge
for the title. Now that
I am I have to give it my best, but it will be a tall order to overhaul Rob."
Carvell has an outside chance of wrapping up his title double this
weekend, but that would depend on House and his other close challengers
failing to score,
while Rob would need to win both races. More likely is that the championship
won't be settled until October's Brands Hatch races.
Thruxton should suit Carvell's Crowsons-backed and Jabbasport-powered
Scirocco down to the ground, but it will also certainly favour Hertfordshire
driver
Ken Lark's mighty Corrado VR6, a winner three times already this year. The
2001 champion,
Michael Neuhoff (Northants), is Corrado-borne also and, after his double podium
result at Oulton Park last time, he should be another contender for Thruxton
victory.
Neuhoff was the double winner at Thruxton in 2002, when he made UK
motorsport history at the wheel of the Golf TDI now handled by Canadian
Mark Thomas.
But the Racing Cup is all about Volkswagen diversity and, with the
top six from the first race reversed to form the grid for race two,
there are plenty
of other
possible winners. Championship third-place man Craig Inskip (Northiam) has
been knocking on the door of victory all season with his Golf turbo, while
the similarly
powered Bora of Hednesford's Mark Smith should be a frontrunner also.
Exeter's Alex Dziurzynski (Mk II Golf GTI) will be hoping for good
things on what passes for his home circuit, as will Basingstoke's
Martyn Culley, currently
ninth overall in his Vento VR6, and Martyn's dad, Barrie, who hails from
Thatcham.
Other cars certain to figure include the new Caddy van, handled by
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles director Peter Wyhinny; the new Polo
TDI of Paul Lloyd-Roach
(Isle of Man); Golfs of every vintage, including Cheltenham 22-year-old Claire
Tippet's venerable ex-Carvell Mk I GTI and the rapid TDI of Lloyd Allard (Cheltenham);
the new Mk V Golf TDI and four-wheel-drive Golf R32; and a phalanx of Beetles,
including the Europcar-backed car driven by TV motor journalist Jason Barlow.
Qualifying takes place on the afternoon of Sunday 29 August, with rounds
nine and 10 of the Volkswagen Racing Cup scheduled for Bank Holiday
Monday.
See 2004 series calendar
for VW
Racing Cup
Related Story 19.07.2004 - On
and Off Track Drama for Claire Tippet at Oulton Park
