Hollamby Romps to Double VW Cup Win at Oulton Park

25 April 2005

Shaun Hollamby and his amazing four-wheel-drive Golf proved an unstoppable combination at Oulton Park at the weekend (23/24 April), racing to twin wins in both of the incident-packed Cheshire rounds of the Volkswagen Racing Cup.

Though neither victory was straightforward for the Kent driver and his Revo Technik/Big Boys Toys-backed R32, they were nonetheless convincing displays which, with the championship now one-third completed, have earned Hollamby a handsome overall points lead.

Hollamby led every inch of Saturday's round three, from pole position to chequered flag, and broke the circuit lap record along the way for good measure. But a first-corner incident came close to upsetting his progress to victory.

The accident was triggered when Ray MacDowall (Carlisle) was tipped into a spin in his ECM Beetle as the pack streamed through Old Hall Corner for the first time. Miraculously only one other car became seriously entangled - the Caddy TDI of Peter Wyhinny. The van suffered only wheel and driveshaft damage but the Beetle was badly banged about and dropped oil and other fluids on the circuit as MacDowall tried to limp back to the pits.

Among the many caught out by the greasy track were rapid novice Didge Dziurzynski (Exeter), who spun off and into a tyre wall, and reigning champion Philip House (Ripley), who slithered from second spot back to fifth. Hollamby's four-wheel drive helped keep him on the straight and narrow and 16-year-old Dan Thackeray (Buntingford) tiptoed his way through the mess to storm into second place in his Corrado VR6.

The safety car was brought into play for a lap and, at the restart, Thackeray closed right on to Hollamby's rear end, the youngster looking determined enough to challenge for the lead. 'Dan was driving brilliantly and really giving me some hassle,' said Shaun. 'I messed up the restart and it nearly cost me the race.' Alas for Thackeray his engine gave up the ghost a couple of laps later.

With second place the subject of a fierce dispute between Martin Rutherford (Little Chalfont) and Craig Inskip (Northiam), Hollamby seized his chance to make good his escape. He crossed the line just over a second ahead of his rivals.

Rutherford got the better of a long duel with Inskip to claim second - equalling his best-ever result - in the Citygate-backed Beetle, with reigning champion Philip House a disconsolate fourth in his misfiring Beetle. Steve Wood (Ashleworth) made superb progress from 15th on the grid in his Golf VR6 to liberate fifth from the grasp of Martyn Culley (Basingstoke) on the final lap. Not that Culley was much bothered - sixth was his best-yet result and gave him pole for Sunday's race.

Ken Lark (Peters Green) overcame braking problems to take seventh, only just ahead of Car magazine editor Jason Barlow, whose first outing in the new Golf GTI demonstrated the machine's track potential. 'It's an absolutely belting race car,' said Jason. 'It's quick and responsive, and that makes all the difference to your race confidence.'

Giles Lock (Farnham) took ninth in his Golf TDI, just ahead of the similar car of Cheltenham's Lloyd Allard, who had chased up to fifth only to spin five places away on the final lap. Mark Smith (Hednesford) and his Bora, another to leave the circuit after hitting oil, took 11th and Exeter's Rob Palmer was 12th in his Golf TDI.

Old Hall Corner once again claimed victims in the second race of the weekend, a first-lap multi-car pile-up bringing a very premature end to the races of Les Latham (Kirkby Mallory), Michael McInerney (Datchet), Rutherford and Barlow. Nobody was hurt in the incident, which necessitated another period under the safety car.

House had made a great getaway from row two to snatch the lead from pole man Culley on the opening lap, but Philip's continuing misfire meant he had no answer when Hollamby came looking the lead on lap five. Shaun swept past the Beetle and on to his third race win of the year, by a half-second margin.

Inskip would have finished third but for a 10-second jump start penalty which demoted him to sixth. Thus Smith gained the final podium placing, ahead of Martyn Culley, Lock, Inskip, Palmer, Lark, the Vento of Barrie Culley (Thatcham) and Gloucestershire driver Dave Turner's Beetle. Eleventh spot went to the Isle of Man's Paul Lloyd-Roach, and 12th to Wood, who was also penalised for an anticipated start.

The Volkswagen Racing Cup enjoys the support of Augustus Martin, Castrol, ECM Vehicle Delivery, Europcar, Experian, Inchcape Automotive, ISG Occupancy, Milltek Sport, Mondial Assistance, Pirelli, Proximity London, KW Automotive, Superchips, TNT Logistics, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Volkswagen Financial Services UK.

See 2005 series calendar for VW Racing Cup

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