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Vauxhall’s VX Racing are looking to confirm their position as the
most successful manufacturer team of modern times by clinching the
Manufacturer’s title in the closing rounds of the 2005 Dunlop MSA
British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch this weekend.
Mathematically, Vauxhall can fail to take the title; in reality,
the British marque is hot favourite to seize the Manufacturer’s
crown for the fifth consecutive year.
Brands Hatch has seen many British Touring Car Championship
deciding races over the years and the finale to the 2005 season will
be no exception. As VX Racing heads south to the Kent track this
weekend, Yvan Muller, currently lying second in the Drivers’
Championship, will be pushing hard in his Astra Sport Hatch to close
the 30 point deficit on Championship leader Matt Neal.
In the first of the weekend’s celebrations, Muller will make his
200th BTCC start on Sunday when he lines up on the grid for the
first BTCC race of the day. With a total of 52 points up for grabs
during the day, Muller will be aiming to capitalise on every
point-scoring opportunity to take the 2005 Dunlop MSA British
Touring Car Championship title, though he acknowledges that it’s an
outside chance.
VX Racing could achieve its 100th race win if Muller, Colin
Turkington (Portadown, Northern Ireland) or Gavin Smith (Dublin,
Ireland) take the chequered flag in first place in one of the three
races at Brands Hatch. Muller has won six of the 27 races so far
this season, Turkington has won two, while Smith’s best result is a
2nd place two weeks ago at Silverstone.
The British Touring Car Championship has not raced on the
full-length Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit since 2002. Back then it
was Vauxhall’s Yvan Muller who posted both the fastest qualifying
lap (1m33.105s/100.54mph) and the fastest race lap
(1m33.262s/100.44mph) in the championship winning Vauxhall Astra
Coupe. At 2.62 miles in length, this is the longest and arguably the
greatest circuit on the BTCC calendar.
With Muller’s Astra Sport Hatch heading to Brands Hatch with
minimum weight (1150kg) and no weight ballast added, the Frenchman
is eager to close the gap on championship leader, Matt Neal. Muller
said, "We struggled a little at Silverstone but fortunately for me
so did Team Halfords. It’s going to be difficult for me to take the
drivers’ championship, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be trying. I’m
looking forward to racing on the Grand Prix circuit, where I’ve been
quick in previous years. It will be the first time that we’ve raced
on that particular circuit with the new Astra Sport Hatch, so it’s
going to be exciting."
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Whilst Colin Turkington has not driven on the Grand Prix circuit
in BTCC he is familiar with the layout. Colin explains, "I competed
at the circuit back in 2001, although I’m sure racing in the Astra
will be a different experience and one which I am looking forward
to. I’ve won here previously at Brands Hatch and it’s a great feeling. If I can win here this weekend and claim Vauxhall’s
100th BTCC win, then it would be even better. I would certainly end
the 2005 season with VX Racing on a high."
Third driver Gavin Smith is also a Brands Hatch race winner,
taking his debut Seat Cupra Championship win on the grand prix
circuit in 2004. Gavin’s confidence is strong after achieving his
best result of the season at Silverstone last time out. The Dubliner
said, "My second place at Silverstone was what I’d been looking for
all season and it’s given me a taste for victory. I’ll be looking to
go one step further on the podium this weekend and aim for my first
race win. I’ve always performed well at Brands Hatch and I won a
race there last year, so I’m optimistic for some good results."
Hot Facts
It is highly likely that Vauxhall’s VX Racing team will leave the
Brands Hatch circuit this weekend with the 2005 Dunlop MSA British
Touring Car Championship Manufacturers’ title. Only technicalities
will mean that the team head home empty-handed.
Should one of the VX Racing drivers win at Brands Hatch this
weekend, it would be Vauxhall’s 100th win in the British Touring Car
Championship. John Cleland scored the first win on May 27, 1991 at
Thruxton in a Vauxhall Dealersport Cavalier GSi. Vauxhall currently
has 99 wins with Yvan Muller claiming a total of 36 and the most
successful Vauxhall driver in the BTCC ever.
Yvan Muller will celebrate his 200th race in the BTCC series this
weekend as he lines up on the grid for the opening race. Muller
joined the championship in 1998 and currently has a total of 36 race
wins. In addition to his title in 2003 he has been runner-up three
times, in 2001, 2002 and 2004.
Yvan Muller holds the BTCC qualifying lap record for the Brands
Hatch Grand Prix circuit, set in 2002: 1m33.105s at an average
speed of 100.54 mph. Muller also holds the race lap record,
1m.33.262s (100.44 mph).
Gavin Smith and Colin Turkington arrive at Brands Hatch
confident, as both have already competed on the Grand Prix circuit.
They have competed here in the Seat Cupra Cup and the Ford Fiesta
Zetec Championship respectively.
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