Claire Tippet Shines in the Rain
of Knockhill in VW Cup
22 May
2005
MSportUK Featured Driver, Claire
Tippet battled the
elements as well as her rivals on the Knockhill circuit at this weekend's
third
round
of
the
VW
Racing Cup.
Driving her ATMR prepared Golf GTi MkI, this was Claire's first time
racing at the compact Scottish circuit and so she was pleased to take
the opportunity to test on Friday before Saturday morning's qualifying
session.
Saturday's qualifying session was one of the few over the weekend to
see sunny and dry conditions which gave Claire further time to familiarise
her self with the circuit. "It is a very small and tight track" said
Claire "which means the cars are going to be very bunched together
and with a full grid in VW Racing which is close racing at the best
of times, well it's all pointing to a very exciting race!"
Claire's prediction was certainly going to be proved right. Starting
at 5.30pm on Saturday the first race was sadly a short one for Claire. "Because
of the smallness of the circuit, I was on a part of the grid which
because of a slight bend and brow means I didn't have a great sight
of the starting lights and took the front cars as my cue. I made a
very good start but it is extremely cramped and funnels the cars together.
I stayed on the outside and we think I had a slight tap from behind
which sent me wide and into the gravel and I was stuck."
However, the disappointment of a non-finish in Race One didn't dampen
Claire's resolve for Sunday's Race Two though the weather was trying.
With grid positions for Race Two determined from Race One finishing
position, Claire was well back in 26th position on the grid as the
rain tumbled down.
Claire made another good start and by the end of lap one had made up
an amazing eight places to 18th. "It was very cloudy and wet and
I was able to work my way up to a large group of cars and as I got
passed them I found myself in a space on my own for while. A couple
of cars also managed to break from that group and we found ourselves
having a really tough battle going three abreast into the hairpin at
one point which was exciting! The wet conditions were challenging but
I worked hard and was really pleased with the end result."
Claire
finished in 14th position having made up twelve positions in the 18
lap race which saw only one non-finisher so it was particularly
gratifying to have got passed a dozen running cars one way or the
other
and to finish on the same lap as the leaders as those behind her didn't.
Claire's next VW Racing Cup event will be at Castle Combe, Wiltshire
on June 25-26th when it will once more be supporting the prestigious
British GT and F3 series.
See 2005 series calendar
for VW
Racing Cup
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Deal Helps Inskipp Complete VW Racing Cup Season
