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VXRacing and a brand new Vectra take on 2007 British Touring Car Championship 
2006 was an uncharacteristically tough year for VXRacing. For the first time in five years, the Banbury-based team ended the season without a Championship title. This year, a new Vauxhall will take part, and VXRacing's Team Principal, Ian Harrison, is very positive about the forthcoming season. Words by Fiona Miller, Pictures by Eliot Bicknell
'We've got a new car, the Vectra, to work with,' he says, 'and it's already shown a lot of potential in our first test with it. We can build on that.'
Harrison admits that underestimating the value of continuity was a major factor in the outcome to 2006. With former driver Yvan Muller departing for pastures new, it was time for new drivers and new engineers. The new mix took a little time to gel.
When your new driver has to buy a sat-nav system to get him from Heathrow to Snetterton, it drilled it home to me that it was a massive ask for him!
'I just thought "oh well, take one driver out, plug another one in, no problem". But it was a problem. When your new driver has to buy a
sat-nav system to get him from Heathrow to Snetterton, it drilled it home to me that it was a massive ask for him! Tom Chilton was also new to us and it was a big step up for him too.'
For former Super Touring Champion Fabrizio Giovanardi, the language, food and culture, as well as the tracks, were all new for him. However, it didn't prevent him taking VXRacing's 100th race win, followed up by another the following weekend at Brands Hatch.
The fact that 70 per cent of Fabrizio's total points tally had been scored in the last five events showed just how comfortable he was in his new working environment. 'If there'd been two more race weekends', mused Harrison, 'we could have stolen it under the wire; there were only 40 points in it.'
