Fulbrook and Hollamby the VW Racing Cup Victors in Scotland

23 May 2005

The first visit north of the border for the Volkswagen Racing Cup provided not only great entertainment for the enthusiastic Knockhill crowd but also a thrilling race victory for newcomer Joe Fulbrook and an increased championship lead for Shaun Hollamby.

Racing novice Fulbrook, from Maidenhead, put in a virtuoso performance at the wheel of his Komori-backed Bora Turbo to win the first of the weekend's races, while Chelsfield-based Hollamby and his four-wheel-drive Golf R32 splashed their way to success on Sunday (22 May).

With the championship now at the half-way stage, Hollamby's points lead is now stretched out to 48.

Fulbrook's Saturday win - in what was only his fourth motor race - was not only the 34-year-old's maiden victory but it was also the first for a Bora in the Volkswagen Racing Cup.

It was another Bora Turbo, the Chase Accident Repair-backed example of Hednesford's Mark Smith, which made the early running, Smith getting the better getaway from the front row of the grid than did pole man Fulbrook.

Fulbrook in fact found himself pushed back to third in the opening laps, behind both Smith and the Beetle of reigning champion Philip House (Ripley). It took Joe three laps to find his way into second spot and a further six before he was able to nose past Smith for the lead - and then only to see all his hard work undone by an excursion on to the grass at Scotsman Corner.

Fulbrook's error seemed to galvanise his efforts and, on the next lap, he regained second from House, who was by now beginning to feel the effects of a recurring misfire, and then Joe snatched the lead from Smith up the hill away from the hairpin.

Smith was beginning to suffer severe brake fade and was forced into the pits after a gravelly moment on the 12th lap. He rejoined to finish 21st.

Fulbrook swiftly pulled out a five-second lead over House and held on in front to the chequered flag despite also suffering braking problems. 'I couldn't be more pleased,' said Joe. 'We've done a lot of work on the car and it's all paid off. The last few laps were a bit hairy because I had virtually no brakes left.'

House was delighted with second given his Beetle's misfire, and Ken Lark (Peters Green) was equally pleased with third in his Corrado after a steady climb through the field from seventh on the opening lap.

Lloyd Allard (Cheltenham) scored his best result of the season with fourth in his turbodiesel Golf, just ahead of Craig Inskip (Northiam), who had started with the handicap of a seventh-row grid slot after an off in qualifying in his turbo Golf.

Championship leader Hollamby was a brave sixth: he had had to start from the very back in his Golf R32 after being penalised for passing under yellow cautionary flags in qualifying. Exeter's Didge Dziurzynski was seventh in his Golf, ahead of Paul Sanderson's (Sidcup) Mk I Golf, the Beetle of Dave Turner (Stonehouse), Stuart Bliss (Weston super Mare) and his Golf, the Golf VR6 of Steve Wood (Ashleworth) and Isle of Man resident Paul Lloyd-Roach's Beetle.

The new Golf GTI driven by Car road test editor Chris Chilton was 14th after surviving a head-on bump with the spinning Beetle of Little Chalfont's Martin Rutherford. Peter Wyhinny was less lucky - his Caddy TDI broke a driveshaft, possibly the result of a swipe it received from another car.

Streaming wet weather on Sunday played straight into Hollamby's hands. The Kent driver's Revo Technik and Big Boys Toys-backed car rocketed away from pole position into an unassailable lead thanks to the superior traction afforded by its four-wheel-drive system.

Hollamby's escape was aided by a spin from Lark at Scotsman Corner on the opening lap; although the rest of the field managed to avoid his gyrating Corrado, the fracas split the pack. Neither did Hollamby have his closest championship rival, Inskip, to worry about - Craig's Golf broke a driveshaft on the way to the grid.

Thus it was House who provided Hollamby's main opposition. But in the conditions Phil's two-wheel-drive Beetle was no match and Shaun - despite a big slide on the second lap - was never seriously threatened. He took his fourth victory of the year by 5.7 seconds. 'It was a hard race to win,' said Shaun, 'because I had to maintain my concentration and the conditions were pretty bad. It's a great end to a fantastic weekend.'

House endured race-long pressure from Allard to collect second place once more, with Allard third to again set a personal best. Despite starting 21st, Smith charged through to an impressive fourth place, just ahead of the equally mercurial Martyn Culley (Basingstoke), who had started even further down the order in his Vento VR6. It was an impressive drive made all the more so by the fact that he was suffering gear selection problems which led to several tricky moments including a 180-degree spin at the hairpin.

An excellent sixth - despite a lurid early-race spin through Duffus Dip - was Chilton in the Golf GTI, underlining the competitiveness of the newest car in the championship. Fulbrook, still hampered by a lack of brakes, was seventh, just ahead of Bliss.

Wood would have finished higher than ninth but for a late-race spin induced by a careless backmarker. Didge Dziurzynski took 10th ahead of the amazing eBay-bought Caddy TDI of Giles Lock (Farnham) and Alex Dziurzynski's Corrado.

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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