Family Favourites for Volkswagen Racing Cup

30 June 2006

A new family race team will be on the grid for the forthcoming Snetterton rounds of the Volkswagen Racing Cup in association with Hankook to bring to two the number of father/son squads contesting the championship.

Paul Wyhinny, 21-year-old son of regular Racing Cup competitor Peter, is the latest addition to the line-up. The Warwickshire-based banker will be at the wheel of a newly built 2.8-litre V6 Golf for the 14/15 July Norfolk races.

Wyhinny Senior, who will be on track as usual in his extraordinary racing Caddy van, is delighted to welcome Paul to the championship: ‘It will be great fun having him at Snetterton but I’ve told him there’ll be no special favours from dad – he’ll have to earn his place on the grid and there will be as much rivalry with him as with any other competitor.’

The Wyhinny family is taking a leaf from the book of Barrie and Martyn Culley, who are in their third season together in the Volkswagen Racing Cup. Barrie’s 27-year-old son Martyn currently holds second overall in the championship after a string of good placings in his venerable Vento VR6.

Reinforcing the championship’s reputation for family togetherness are Exeter-based brothers Alex and Adrian Dziurzynski. Alex, 25, was a podium visitor at Oulton Park in April with his Corrado and 22-year-old Adrian was on strong form last time out, at Donington Park. Both men should be a force at Snetterton.

The championship leader after four of the 12 races is Hertfordshire’s Paul Taylor, who has taken full advantage of his Golf R32’s four-wheel drive to make the most of the damp conditions of round one at Oulton and round three at Donington to claim convincing race victories.

But if the weather stays fine at Snetterton, 40-year-old Taylor is certain to face stiff opposition from the faster front-drive cars, like the Citygate-backed Beetle Turbo of round two winner Martin Rutherford (Little Chalfont) and the rapid Golf TDI driven to victory last time out by Cheltenham’s Lloyd Allard.

Golf driver Craig Inskip, who raced on to the podium right behind Allard at Donington, is ruling himself out for victory at Snetterton, however. ‘It’s a circuit which suits the more aerodynamic cars, so I am expecting Ken Lark’s Corrado and Joe Fulbrook in the Bora to be up there at the front,’ said Northiam-based Inskip. ‘I’ll be happy to come away with a couple of top-five finishes and some useful championship points.’

Veteran Lark has an impressive record at the Norfolk circuit – his VR6-powered Corrado was a double victor there in 2002 and finished on top again in both Snetterton races in 2004. ‘We didn’t go very well last year,’ said Hertfordshire-based Ken, ‘because we discovered later that the brakes were jammed on! That won’t happen this year…’

Berkshire-based Fulbrook, a winner last season at Knockhill, will be hoping for a good result following the fitment of a new 1.8T engine in his Bora, while the Beetle RSi of championship newcomer Tony Gilham (Swanley) will enjoy new motive power from a fresh Grant Motorsport-prepared power unit. Grant Motorsport boss Grant Woodhatch is expected to be in action in his Vento VR6.

Gilham will be leading a posse of V6 Beetles into action at Snetterton; others expected include those handled by 17-year-old Darelle Wilson (Solihull), Steve Chaplin (Maisemore) plus the Isle of Man’s Paul Lloyd-Roach and the Isle of Wight’s Jonny Moore.

Other championship regulars to watch out for include Exeter’s Rob Palmer in his Golf TDI – a podium visitor at Donington; the new Polo GTI, which will be in the hands of Circuit Driver journalist Mike Breslin; the new Golf GTIs of Michael McInerney, Steve Wood and Mike Kurton; Giles Lock in his Caddy TDI and Jamie Turner’s Golf VR6.

The Volkswagen Racing Cup in association with Hankook enjoys the additional support of Augustus Martin, Castrol, ECM Vehicle Delivery, Europcar, Experian, Milltek Sport, Mondial Assistance, Proximity London, KW Automotive, Superchips, TNT Logistics, Turbo Dynamics, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Volkswagen Financial Services UK.

See 2006 series calendar for VW Racing Cup

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