DOWN TO THE WIRE!
The laid-back Italian was, however, extremely sanguine about the chase, despite the mounting pressure. ‘Any car is a piece of metal so sometimes it can have problems. But when I see difficulties coming, I become stronger. That’s my character. I don’t get worried or unhappy or think too much what I have to do. I just do the maximum’.
Arriving at Knockhill in Scotland early September for the penultimate weekend, Giovanardi was just four points behind Plato in the Drivers’ chase, while Vauxhall were 38 points ahead of SEAT in the Manufacturers’ championship.
And while Knockhill in 2006 was the scene of Vauxhall’s 100th race victory, it is something of a bogey track for the team. So although Giovanardi showed masterful car control to score points in all three races, Harrison rates the team’s overall performance there as ‘poor’. In the space of an afternoon, Vauxhall went from being 38 points ahead to just three.
And so to the dramatic finale, and a return to Thruxton – where VX Racing had won more times than anywhere else. But Ian Harrison admits there was massive pressure on everyone. ‘Someone was going to end up being disappointed, weren’t they? I honestly felt it was going to be an all-or-nothing weekend.’
While many were surprised that the Manufacturers’ title wasn’t wrapped up earlier, most thought that the Drivers’ Championship was always going to go to the wire.
Few, though, would have guessed it would go to the very last race of 30, or that one of the contenders would have such a dramatic lead-up to the weekend. On Monday of race week, Jason Plato was filming for TV’s Fifth Gear when his car caught fire. Suffering from burns, he still raced at Thruxton in spite of being in considerable pain.
For the final race, both Vauxhall and SEAT drafted in third cars to boost their strategic options. VX Racing’s chose Swiss star and former double BTCC Champion Alain Menu, who is part of the wider GM family as a Chevrolet World Touring Car Championship driver. The Vauxhall trio demolished opposition morale, first in practice and then with a top three qualifying performance. Set for a dream 1-2-3 finish in the first of the three races, first Tom Chilton then (on the last lap) Menu slowed dramatically with punctures. Menu’s ability to complete the final half-mile and finish fourth proved vital to Vauxhall’s Manufacturers’ title hopes.
And Giovanardi’s win to Plato’s second narrowed the Briton’s advantage to just five points – with two title-deciding races to go.