by rounds 28-29-30 brands hatch 21 september 2008 issue 11
DRIVER & MANUFACTURER
VX Racing, has successfully secured all three championship titles (Driver’s, Team’s and Manufacturer’s) at this weekends closing round of the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at Brands Hatch. Having accumulated 119 race wins, and eight manufacturer titles since 1989, Vauxhall is now the most successful manufacturer of the modern era of BTCC. Fabrizio Giovanardi claimed his second consecutive BTCC driver’s title with VX Racing, finishing with an incredible 36 point lead ahead of his nearest rival. Former two-time BTCC Champion and team-mate Matt Neal finished with 185 points and fifth position in the Driver’s championship standings, while VX Racing rookie Tom Onslow-Cole finished hot on his heels in sixth position with a total of 170 points, marking the end of a strong season for the 21-year-old in his first season in a front wheel drive car. RACE ONE Round 28 saw Giovanardi claim his second driver’s championship title, as title rival Jason Plato was unable to close the points gap. An incident on
FABRIZIO’S day
lap two pushed Giovanardi wide, but race two, after an engine change following finishing in 14th overall, despite carrying 45 race one caused problems with his car and kg of success ballast, was enough to secure meant that he was unable to start. Mat Giovanardi his championship. Comments Jackson won the race. Giovanardi, “My third season with RACE THREE VX Racing has been fantastic, the team Giovanardi’s Vectra VXR was back up and have given me such support, and what running after his earlier engine problems, driver could ask for more. I can’t wait to get and he started from the 21st on the grid. stuck into the 2009 season now!” Matt Neal After fighting hard with the back of the field, became involved in a battle with both SEAT the newly crowned champion set a fastest Sport UK cars in the final stages, overtaking lap on lap 14 before getting stuck into a Turner on the final lap allowing Neal to battle with Plato, overtaking him on lap 17. claim sixth. Neal started from seventh and drove an Onslow-Cole managed to move up through aggressive race to finish eighth. the field from his 12th position grid start to 21-year-old Onslow-Cole started the finish in ninth. Mat Jackson won the race. final race of the day from pole position, RACE TWO and drove well to finish third. Comments Matt Neal claimed VX Racing’s first Onslow-Cole, “I knew this weekend would podium of the day in round 29, overtaking be difficult, with such a mixed bag of drivers Jason Plato on lap ten, Neal demonstrated out on track, but I had no idea it would give the Vauxhall Vectra VXR’s speed and us such unexpected results! I’m pleased to finished in a strong second place. Said Neal, have finished on the podium though.” Tom “This weekend has been a wonderful end Chilton won the race. to a successful season for us all, and it’s BTCC Drivers Championship been great fun along the way. The team 1 Fabrizio Giovanardi VAUXHALL Vectra vxr 262 have worked so hard for us, and Vauxhall 2 MAT JACKSON BMW 320si 226 3 JASON PLATO SEAT LEON TDi 223 and Fabrizio really deserve their titles.” 4 COLIN TURKINGTON BMW 320si 212 Onslow-Cole drove a clean race and 5 MATT NEAL VAuXHaLL VECTRA VXR 185 finished eighth. Giovanardi missed out on 10 TOM ONSLOW-COLE VAUXHALL VECTRA VXR 170
“My day has been incredible, one I have certainly waited all year for! I would sum it up and say that it was one of the happiest of my life, even though it was definitely a day of surprises! The entire weekend has produced weird, unexpected results and successes, but I think everybody had a good day today. And the sun shone, which was very nice!”
BTCC Manufacturers Championship
1 Vauxhall 2 SEAT
697 .....545
1 VX Racing 2 SEAT SPORT UK 3 TEAM HALFORDS
537 328 231
BTCC Team Championship
*Champions
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VAUXHALL WIN MULTIPLE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES
rounds 28-29-30 brands hatch 21 september 2008 issue 11
ATTACK caught up with Vauxhall’s Marketing Director, Andy Gilson, and asked him to sum up what the 2008 BTCC season meant to Vauxhall. “2008 has been a truly fantastic season. We began with the objective to win all three championships this year, and now to have achieved this is quite unbelievable, especially in light of just how competitive the modern day BTCC field is. The team have worked so hard to ensure that every possible opportunity was given to the three drivers, and have lived up to their reputation as the most successful
GALLERY
the champ’s thank you
fabrizio giovanardi
BTCC team yet again. “It is always a joy to see the race wins and successes add up throughout the year, and everyone at Vauxhall just hopes and prays that all the hard work pays off in the end. This is the first time Vauxhall have secured the triple win since 2004, and it has been well earned by everyone this season. We have now secured eight manufacturer titles, “My third season with VX Racing has and eight driver titles; we’re been fantastic. The professionalism and definitely aiming for our ninth in team spirit at Vauxhall has made the year ’09. 2009… bring it on!” not only enjoyable, but of championship Fabrizio Giovanardi headed winning quality and I cannot thank them into the Brands Hatch enough. The Vauxhall Vectra VXR has weekend needing a maximum proven itself as a worthy championship of nine points to secure winner and the VX Racing team worked victory, and so he was in so hard to support me and ensure that great spirits at the track. reliability and maximum performance Adding the ninth major were always available to me; and as a driver, you could not hope for any more touring car title to his CV, this. our charismatic Italian “My team-mates Matt and Tom have done has certainly cemented such a wonderful job at aiming for those his reputation as one of points scoring finishes, right from race the greatest touring car one, that we have been truly untouchable driver’s of all-time. this season. To have such dedicated,
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ambitious and fun team mates has definitely made the 2008 season my best ever. 2007 driver’s champion, and now 2008 driver’s champion, roll on 2009, I can’t wait!”
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thoughts at the end of the 2008 season
rounds 28-29-30 brands hatch 21 september 2008 issue 11
VAUXHALL SEARCHES FOR THE NEXT GIOVANARDI
STAR SPIN
be announcing who won the VXR Racing Driver of the Year 2008! Vauxhall’s double touring car champion Fabrizio Giovanardi, has mentored the 2007 competition winner, 35-year-old John Allison from Beverly in Yorkshire, through his first professional racing season. The mortgage consultant and father of two has claimed five podium finishes during his first season behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Astra VXR, and currently stands fourth in the Dunlop Maxx Cup Championship. Fabrizio has again given his full support to the 2008 competition; “It’s a great opportunity for a driver with raw talent and ambition to experience the
highly-competitive world of motorsport. With such a fantastic prize, the competition has been extremely strong this year and hopefully we will discover a future champion.”
VAUXHALL’S 2008 STARS LOOK AHEAD TO THOSE FROSTY WINTER MONTHS
What will those racing boys get up to this winter? Fabrizio Giovanardi prefers to stay in the warm, “I don’t like to ski, it’s far too cold for me. I prefer to stay at home and socialise with my friends and family. Also winter is a good time to work on my house, as the temperatures cool off to allow you to work.” Matt Neal told ATTACK, “My favourite time in winter is Christmas, it’s a brilliant time when you’ve got a big family. I like to watch the children open their gifts and then stuff myself silly with Christmas turkey!” Tom Onslow-Cole still finds a need to satisfy his adrenalin addiction, “The last two winter’s I’ve really taken to skiing holidays, just starting to think about planning my trip for this winter, and as the air starts to get a bit colder I get excited about the snow!”
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As the BTCC season finishes for 2008, Vauxhall are continuing their search for Britain’s best undiscovered racing talent with their VXR Racing Driver of the Year competition. With the semi-final challenges now complete, 15 hopefuls are heading to the finals in a fortnight’s time for their chance to win a fully paid for race seat for the 2009 season, worth an incredible £80,000. The finals will include media interview scenarios and team-building challenges, along with speed trials and racing aptitude tests. Vauxhall will soon
COMPETITION • COMPETITION • COMPETITION • COMPETITION • COMPETITION • COMPETITION
WIN a pair of 2009 BTCC tickets Enjoyed the 2008 British Touring Car Championship? Get planning now for your 2009 season and make sure you don’t miss Fabrizio’s first race of his championship title defence. For your chance to win a pair of tickets to the first race of the 2009 BTCC, just answer the following question:
Q. Fabrizio Giovanardi won the 2008 BTCC driver’s championship, but with how many points? a) b) c)
195 262 344
To enter, send your answer and contact details to vxracing@rsm.uk.com. The closing date is Friday, 3 October 2008.