Top Scorers VX Racing Head To Knockhill

22/08/2008

VX Racing have extended their manufacturers’, teams’ and drivers’ leads in the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), following a hot weekend at Oulton Park in Cheshire.

Leaving the Cheshire circuit as the most successful team of the weekend, with three podiums and a total of 49 points to add to their BTCC standings, VX Racing move from strength-to-strength as the next round at Knockhill, Fife, looms on the horizon.Reigning BTCC Champion Fabrizio Giovanardi continues to lead the drivers’ standings with 198 points, while team mate Matt Neal currently lies fourth with 147 points. VX Racing rookie Tom Onslow-Cole lies in sixth, just 23 points behind Neal.

The Knockhill round in 2007 was successful for VX Racing, with Giovanardi adding 14 points to his championship battle. Both Neal and Onslow-Cole will make their debuts at the Scottish circuit for VX Racing, and testing indicates that the car should perform well on the high speed circuit.

Qualifying for round 22 of the BTCC will be held on Saturday 16 August at 16.00, with the first of three races starting at 11.10 on Sunday 17 August.
 

Fabrizio Giovanardi #1

“I secured Vauxhall’s 100th victory at Knockhill in 2006, so it’s a special track for me. Similar to a rally circuit, you have to drive aggressively to gain places through tight fast corners, and also hold back the field using a defensive line. I hope to extend my championship lead even further at Knockhill, but you have to be aware of the limitations of the car when carrying so much success ballast.”

Matt Neal #4

“I have had some really successful performances at Knockhill in my BTCC career, and have clocked up quite a few points there in recent years. It will be interesting however to see how the car runs at the circuit compared to our rivals. Knockhill is quite a short circuit, and it can be very difficult to overtake, but if you can get a good start and then drive defensively there is a strong chance of holding onto some decent points.”

Tom Onslow-Cole #10

“I like Knockhill, it’s a really fun circuit to drive and I’m definitely looking forward to taking the VXR Vectra there. I have obtained some reasonable results at Knockhill in the past, so hopefully I can do even better with the VX Racing team behind me. I’m aiming to get back on the podium again at the next round, so fingers crossed that I can get some good qualifying done on Saturday.”
Notes to editors

For more information on VX Racing including high-resolution images please visit www.vxr.co.uk.

Vauxhall is the most successful manufacturer of the modern era of BTCC, having accumulated 118 race wins, since first entering the BTCC in 1989, Vauxhall and its drivers have won the following:

Manufacturers’ Championships

Vauxhall Vectra (2007)
VXR Astra Sport Hatch (2005)
Astra Coupé (2004)
Astra Coupé (2003)
Astra Coupé (2002)
Astra Coupé (2001)
Cavalier GSi (1992)

Drivers’ Championships

Fabrizio Giovanardi (2007)
James Thompson (2004)
Yvan Muller (2003)
James Thompson (2002)
Jason Plato (2001)
John Cleland (1995)
John Cleland (1989)
Teams’ titles: 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001.
The Vauxhall Vectra won ten races in its debut 2007 season.

Technical information: 

• Vectra VXR
• Four cylinder engine with 2000cc capacity
• Transverse mounted six-speed transmission
• Front suspension: Racing design McPherson struts with lightweight lower wishbones and anti-roll bar
• Rear suspension: Lightweight torsion beam with anti roll bar. Penske damper units & Eibach springs
• 17" x 9" wheels
• Vehicle weight 1140 kg (including driver)
• The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) was formed in 1958 and is the UK’s most popular motor racing spectacle. Its race season comprises ten events at top circuits across the UK. It is contested by professional racing drivers in competition versions of every day road cars, giving it tremendous public appeal. Around 300,000 spectators watch the BTCC trackside each year.