This weekend sees the start of the 2014 Milltek Sport Volkswagen Racing Cup, with a 37 car field promised for the opening races at Oulton Park.
In recent times, the multi-model marque series has gone from strength to strength, with a number of drivers progressing from the VW Cup up to the heights of the British Touring Car Championship, including 2013’s 4th place finisher, Martin Depper.
Two other drivers with BTCC experience will once again grace the VW Cup field in 2013, after Howard Fuller and Kieran Gallagher were confirmed their return to the series at the four-car effort of Team Hard. Gallagher and Fuller will be joined by Graham Perkins in the team, as well as 2008 Seat Cupra Class Champion Harry Vaulkhard, who makes his return to top-level racing this season.
Speaking to TCF, Vaulkhard remained coy on his 2014 expectations. ““The plan is to do well, but I am mindful of the fact that there are a lot of drivers on the grid with more experience of the series than me, so it is not going to be easy.”
Perhaps the biggest driver announcement during pre-season was the confirmation of reigning drivers champion Aaron Mason’s defence of his title for the forthcoming season. The Doncaster-driver will again pilot a Scirocco R for AWM/Warranty Direct Racing, in what will be his sixth year of competition in the series.
Challenging Mason for the title will once again be last seasons 2nd and 3rd place finishers, Stewart Lines and Joe Fulbrook, with Lines again driving for Maximum Motorsport in a Scirocco , whilst Fulbrook will launch from the grid at this weekend’s season opener as Mason’s teammate in a Golf GTI Mk V prepared by AWM/Warranty Direct Racing.
Ahead of his title defence, Mason said he was happy to be returning to the series. “This is a great place to race: a well-run championship, and well policed, and the competition is getting better and better so we are able to get some good racing out there.
“We are still learning with the Scirocco and I’m sure we will move forward. We have a new car underway, and will start again with it and see if we can improve.”
The series will again see a whole host of equally matched Volkswagen models going toe-to-toe at each of the seven rounds, with Scirocco’s, Beetles, Golf GTI Mk V’s, Golf GTI VI’s, Golf GTI’s, and even a Caddy Van entered by Dan Garnsworthy’s Vanworx team, taking to the track to decide who will win the 2014 Miltek Sport Volkswagen Racing Cup title.
