Brands Wins for Walker and Perry in VW Cup

17 Jul 2007

The weekend's two drama-filled Brands Hatch rounds of the Volkswagen Racing Cup in association with Hankook provided not only crowd-pleasing thrills but also some superb race action and a new championship leader.

Richard Walker collected his second win of the season at the wheel of his Golf GTI, with Jamie Perry taking the honours in the second race to step on to the podium's top step for the first time. Tony Gilham meanwhile collected a major points haul to move ahead of Joe Fulbrook for the championship lead.

Saturday's Brands race may have been the shortest in the championship's history but it was also one of the most exciting and action-packed, with the top four separated by less than a second at the finish line.

The scheduled 20-minute race length had to be shortened after a first-corner accident wiped out six cars and caused a lengthy stoppage while the debris was cleared. The incident was triggered when the fast-starting Golf of Adrian Dziurzynski tried to overtake pole-sitter Gilham's GTI around the outside of the notorious Paddock Hill Bend and spun broadside across the pack.

Car upon car cannoned into the melee, several spinning off into the gravel trap and instant retirement. Among the unlucky were erstwhile championship leader Joe Fulbrook, reigning champion Paul Taylor, Paul Lloyd-Roach, Darren Blumson and Martyn Culley. Gilham and Dziurzynski were able to continue with light damage. The only injury was to Culley, who strained his shoulder in the impact.

Auto Express journalist Owen Mildenhall also came a cropper in the Golf GT TSI - a bitter disappointment after he had recorded the car's best-ever qualifying position, seventh. 'It was carnage,' said Owen. 'I came around the corner to find a wall of cars in front of me. There was no time to brake.'

With the clock ticking away towards the Brands Hatch evening noise curfew the survivors were given a mere three laps in which to dispute victory, setting the scene for a battle royal. Snetterton victor Walker made the most of the opportunity, his Golf GTI bolting away from second on the grid to lead into Paddock, hotly pursued by the V6 Golf of Perry, Gilham and Steve Wood's GTI.

The leading quartet lapped the Grand Prix track bumper to bumper, Walker vigorously defending his slender lead from a determined Perry. 'I knew it was a short race, so I defended harder than I might have otherwise,' said Richard.

His resolution paid off, the Nottinghamshire veteran and his City Plumbing Supplies-backed Golf crossing the line a whisker ahead to record his and the Allard Turner Motor Racing team's second consecutive victory. 'It's just as well it was a short race,' added Walker, 'because mine was not the fastest car out there. I'm very pleased: a win's a win…'

It was not however Perry who shadowed Walker at the chequered flag: he had been bumped back to fourth on the final lap by Gilham and Wood, Steve following Tony through when Jamie left the door ajar. 'Had I realised it was the last lap I would have defended harder,' conceded Perry. Eight-tenths of a second covered the top four at the line.

Steve Chaplin and Alex Dziurzynski held fifth and sixth throughout the race, with Michael McInerney's Europcar Golf relieving Andrew Smith's Golf VR6 of seventh at mid-distance. The Golfs of John Quartermaine and Adrian Dziurzynski rounded out the top 10, with Paul Wyhinny's Beetle 11th and Graham Needham's R32 Golf coming home 12th.

Sunday's sprint provided three times the race distance and plenty more thrills as the Golfs of Walker, Gilham, Perry and Wood once again made all the running.

It was Chaplin's 'Herbie'-liveried Beetle which made the initial running, slotting ahead of the field from its front row start slot as the pole-sitting Corrado of Alex Dziurzynski failed to capitalise on its advantage.

Herbie's tenure of the lead lasted only three corners - Perry's Golf then moved ahead to take up the running. By lap's end Chaplin had slipped to third as Wood moved up to second and set about harrying Perry for the lead.

But Jamie was not to be denied, pulling a couple of seconds clear of his pursuer following the completion of a two-lap safety car interlude necessary for the removal of a stranded car. Perry's Keith Garages-backed Golf crossed the line 2.4s clear to record a popular debut win.

'The car was awesome this weekend,' said Jamie. 'It was a hard job keeping Steve at bay at first and my tyres were past their best towards the end but it was still enough. All credit to the Force 10 Motorsport team who have developed this car into a race winner.'

Wood held on to second all the way to the final lap, but the Gloucester man was struggling against incorrect tyre pressures and gear selection problems. 'I couldn't keep Richard and Tony behind me any longer,' said Steve. Wood then tangled with the Golf of Adrian Dziurzynski, the latter spinning off while Wood continued on to fourth.

Walker was delighted with his second place: 'A first and a second is a lot more than I expected from this weekend,' said former truck racer Richard. 'I'm more used to driving a five-and-a-half tonner around here, so it's a great result.'

Gilham, who was suffering a lack of turbo boost, was similarly pleased with his podium double. 'Under the circumstances it's been a good weekend overall,' said the new championship leader.

Fulbrook made up for his Saturday disappointment with fifth ahead of McInerney, Taylor, Alex Dziurzynski, Needham and Smith, with Mildenhall at last getting a proper race in the Golf GT TSI and bringing it home 11th. 'I'm pleased to have finished,' said Owen, 'but frustrated that it wasn't a longer race and that I couldn't have made more progress up the order.'

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

See 2007 series calendar for VW Racing Cup

Related Story 23.04.2007 - Fulbrook and Taylor are the Donington VW Victors