VW Championship Number Two Beckons for Phil
16 September 2005
The Volkswagen Racing Cup is all set for a thrilling finale next weekend
(24/25 September) at Snetterton, with reigning champion Philip House
preparing himself to retake the championship crown.
North Yorkshireman House arrives at the Norfolk circuit with a handy
22-point lead over his closest title rival, Kent's Shaun Hollamby.
But with Hollamby declaring himself unlikely to contest the Snetterton
events, Philip is looking a near certainty for championship win number
two…
"I'm not counting on anything," says House, "because in
motorsport it's never over until it's over. If Shaun isn't racing then
only
Mark Smith can beat me in the championship. It's a long shot for
him but
stranger things have happened. I'm just looking forward to the weekend
and some enjoyable racing, and hopefully the result that I need will
come."
House and his Ripley Caravan Park-backed Beetle RSi have enjoyed
a remarkably consistent year, just as in 2004 when Phil won the
championship title in his debut Volkswagen Racing Cup season. House
won at Knockhill
in May and has visited the race podium on six other occasions.
Hollamby has sold his multiple race-winning Revo Golf R32
and believes its new owner, former 750 Motor Club saloons front-runner
Paul
Taylor, will drive it at Snetterton: "It's a shame not to be
contesting the
final rounds but Paul will be racing it next year and he's eager
to get behind the wheel and the Big Boys Toys team is keen to
see how
well he will go."
The third man in the championship, Hednesford's Mark Smith, certainly
has his work cut out if he's to deprive House of the championship
- he would have to win both Snetterton races with Philip finishing
outside
the top 10. Smith took his Chase Accident Repair-backed Bora
Turbo to its best-ever Racing Cup result - second - at Snetterton
in
2003 and should be on strong form there once more.
But another Bora racer, Berkshire's Joe Fulbrook, has his sights
set on Smith's championship third. A racing novice at the start
of the
season, Fulbrook has wasted little time in learning the quick
way to the podium; he won at Knockhill and finished second
to Hollamby
twice
at Castle Combe in June.
For Basingstoke's Martyn Culley, who holds fourth in the
championship jointly with Fulbrook, Snetterton is going to be a real
test
of stamina. The 26-year-old Vento VR6 driver is suffering
with an
injured knee
which could yet keep him out of the cockpit. "It's going
to be touch and go whether I can finish one, let alone both of
the
races," said
Martyn, "but I'll be there and will give it my best shot."
The championship's leading diesel driver, Lloyd Allard - currently
sixth in the standings - will face a big challenge for diesel-class
honours at Snetterton in the shape of Hertfordshire's Dan
Thackeray, who will celebrate his 17th birthday with an outing
at the
wheel of the Exeter Diesels-backed Golf TDI Mk V usually
driven by
Rob Palmer.
In addition to those at the sharp end of the championship
battle, there will be plenty of breadth and depth to the
Volkswagen
Racing Cup grid
at Snetterton. Among the many regular drivers expected
in Norfolk are Hertfordshire's Ken Lark, whose Corrado VR6 took
twin wins
at the circuit
in both 2002 and last season; Car magazine editor Jason
Barlow
at the wheel of the potent new Golf GTI; and rapid Golf
VR6 pilot Steve
Wood
(Gloucester).
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles MD Peter Wyhinny will be
in action in his Caddy TDI, and there will be an old-model
Caddy
van for
Surrey's Giles Lock. A host of Beetles is expected, led
on parade by House's
championship-leading example and including such as Europcar's
Michael McInerney and BBT team-mates Paul Lloyd-Roach
(Isle of Man) and
Steve Dorrell (Buckinghamshire).
See 2005 series calendar
for VW
Racing Cup
Related Story 19.08.2005 - Racing
Rival Gives Teen Driver a Boost in VW Racing Cup
