NEWS RELEASE: 29 SEPTEMBER 2007
GILHAM CLAIMS RACING CUP TITLE AT ROCKINGHAM
Tony Gilham is the 2007 Volkswagen Racing Cup Champion. The 27-year-old from Swanley, Kent, put the crown beyond the mathematical reach of any of his rivals today (Saturday) at Rockingham in the penultimate round of the 12-race series.
Gilham clinched the Hankook-backed championship despite a down-on-power Golf GTI with which he could achieve no better than fifth place at the Northamptonshire Motor Speedway. But after the early demise with mechanical problems of his closest points challenger, Joe Fulbrook, fifth was more than enough to do the job.
'I'm delighted of course,' said Tony, 'but it's a shame for Joe and for me that it ended like this - I was looking forward to a good battle with him. He was unlucky and I was very lucky, because my turbo had gone and I couldn't keep pace with the frontrunners. I'm sure Joe would have gone past me too.'
Nonetheless Gilham's Regal Autosport / GIAC Golf GTI made the finish to maintain his perfect finishing record - he is the only driver in the field to have scored in all races. 'We have scored in every race, and that's what wins championships,' added Tony. 'We've had bad luck along the way, like starting three races from the pit lane, but the Golf has been consistently quick and reliable.' The highlights of Gilham's season were his twin wins at Silverstone in August.
Fittingly it was 2006 champion Paul Taylor who took today's race win at Rockingham, the Hertfordshire driver taking the lead on an eventful opening lap after the 3.2-litre Beetle of pole position man Darren Blumson and the V6 Golf of Jamie Perry made contact at the Deene hairpin. Taylor was delayed by the fracas, which allowed Martyn Culley's Vento VR6 to nip through for the lead.
But Culley came a cropper three corners later, ploughing off into the gravel at Gracelands and rolling three times. 'I think something went at the rear of the car,' said an uninjured Martyn, 'and the next thing I knew I was into the gravel and over.'
Thus Taylor's Golf R32 inherited a lead it was not to lose despite early pressure from the 'Herbie'-liveried Beetle of Steve Chaplin. Later on the Gloucestershire driver held off his county neighbour and Allard Turner Motor Racing team-mate Steve Wood's Golf GTI to secure second place, his maiden podium finish. Both Taylor and Chaplin were playing their points-doubling 'Joker' cards.
It was Taylor's third race win of the year: 'It's been an up and down season,' he said, 'and it's great to have cured our problems and end it on a high note. It bodes well for next year for us.'
Wood's third was his sixth podium finish of the year and a boost in his bid to wrest championship second from Fulbrook - a battle which will go down to the wire in Rockingham's final round tomorrow.
Alex Dziurzynski's Corrado battled past Gilham early on to secure fourth, with new champion Gilham just managing to keep ahead of sixth-placed Richard Walker's Golf - another car damaged in the opening lap dramas.
Andrew Smith's Golf VR6 claimed seventh ahead of Michael McInerney's Europcar Golf GTI and Paul's Wyhinny's Beetle, with Perry recovering to 10th spot. Barrie Culley's Vento and Richard Aucock's Golf TSI rounded out the top 12.
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.