Inspiring
VICTORIOUS VAUXHALL
VX Racing team triumphed to take the 2008 season’s honours. Now they aim to repeat their success in what will be a challenging year.
WORDS BY FIONA MILLER, PICTURES BY VAUXHALL.
The new British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season launches in April, and it looks set to be a challenging one for the VX Racing team. But drivers Fabrizio Giovanardi and Matt Neal are determined to repeat their 2008 success, which saw VX Racing take the Team title, Vauxhall top the Manufacturers’ standings and Giovanardi first in the Drivers’ challenge.
Indeed, when Giovanardi opened his points account in the 2008 BTCC by winning the first two races at Brands Hatch, he was serving notice of intent to his competitors. A sixth Drivers’ Championship for VX Racing was the target, as well as a fifth Team and seventh Manufacturers’ title for Vauxhall.
Fast-forward to the concluding weekend of the year, at the same Kent circuit, and the Italian had a healthy advantage of 44 points over his nearest rival, SEAT Sport UK’s Jason Plato. The Manufacturers’ and Teams’ titles were sewn up, and he needed to guide his Vectra VXR to just eight points to tie up his ninth major championship. As he’d scored in every round – including five wins and 10 further podium finishes – and led from the start, he was the hot favourite.
“Last year I was lucky enough to finish every race and get a lot of points,” said Giovanardi modestly.
Having started 2008 with clear potential, to what did he attribute his ultimate success? “You have to consider that the competition has been much stronger, both cars and drivers, so it was a completely different championship compared to the year before. We had consistency and reliability all year which counted. And to also have dedicated, ambitious and fun team mates definitely made the 2008 season my best ever.
“A BTCC title was very special for everyone in the Vauxhall team. I am really aware of its history – last year was the championship’s 50th year – and of some of the great names on the champion’s trophy. It makes me very proud to be among them.”
Among those is former double BTCC Champion Matt Neal, who finished fifth in the Driver standings.
The Worcestershire-based driver moved to VX Racing from a family-run team but didn’t appear to take long to find his feet in his new surroundings. His sole win in the appallingly wet conditions at Rockingham was a highlight, as were his podium finishes (three of ten) at an equally wet Croft.“I would have liked to have won more races in 2008,” said Neal, “but we achieved every goal set out for us as a team and it’s been great, very positive.”
With Giovanardi being hampered by 45kg of success ballast on his Vectra for the whole season, making qualifying a particular challenge, Neal was full of admiration for his team-mate’s performance and consistency. “One of the things Fabrizio is very good at is making something from his grid position, no matter where it is. You have to take your hat off to him.”
Another doffing his cap at the Champion is 21-year-old Tom Onslow-Cole. The Surrey man, in only his second full year of BTCC racing, had a great season and counted two victories at Thruxton and two pole positions as his season highlights. He finished just behind Neal in the final standings which, in itself, is testament to his talent.
VX Racing’s attention is firmly focussed on looking ahead but despite all the team achieved last year, Ian Harrison was left with one area of what he deems to be unfinished business.
“There was only one thing missing in the end, and that was VX Racing’s 100th win. That’ll be a good way to start the 2009 season won’t it?”