VW Racing Cup

VW Cup Wins for Walker and Wilson at Oulton Park

3 Mins read
Credit: VW Racing Cup

It would be a first win of the season for both Tom Walker and Matthew Wilson, as the Volkswagon Racing Cup continues to throw up surprise results in the latter stages of the season, after a thrilling Saturday at Oulton Park.

VW Polo driver Tom Witts became the only racer to score a double podium and thus left the weekend with the most points, while Owen Walton would start on pole and finished second in the opening race. In fact the only driver to collect silverware not to begin with a ‘W’ was Paul Taylor who continues to impress form after missing the opening round.

Elsewhere, points leader Chris Panayiotou was absent from the weekend with Jamie Bond inheriting the championship lead despite an unremarkable event with just one top eight finish.

QUALIFYING

Pole: Simon Walton – Slidesports – Audi TT

It would be Tom Walker who dominated the early part of qualifying. The Allumy Motorsport driver would be determined to start the weekend on better form than he’s experienced this season, having failed to pick up a podium. Walker was not going to have an easy run though, with the Slidesport Audi TT pair challenging in the latter stages.

A late lap for Simon Walton secured him pole position with Walker forced to settle for second, splitting the Audi’s as Owen Walton lined up ahead of Martin Depper. Having been absent the last two rounds, Depper was quick to prove he still had the form, with Jamie Bond and Matthew Wilson rounding out the third row.

Tom Witts left the weekend as the highest scorer, though remains some distance off the front of the championship (Credit: VW Racing Cup)

RACE 1

Winner: Tom Walker – Allumy Motorsport – VW Scirocco

A dire start for the Audi TT pair gave an opportunity for the fast starting Martin Depper to briefly take the lead, before Tom Walker demoted his a position on the run up to the Island hairpin. Depper would soon lose another position to Owen Walton before contact with Tom Witts sent him out of the race.

Witts was clearly the quicker car and attempted to undercut through Lodge only for Depper to close the door and being spun by the out-of-position Witts. A safety car was called, bunching up the field.

Barrier damage would bring an end to the first VW Racing Cup event handing Walker his first win of the year from O. Walton and Witts who rounded out the podium. Elsewhere, Jamie Bond benefitted from his rivals poor performances to take fourth ahead of Matthew Wilson. Team HARDs Mark Wakefield and Toby Davis complete the queue for fourth with Paul Taylor eighth.

Matthew Wilson took the honours in the reverse grid affair after a penalty for Jamie Bond. (Credit: VW Racing Cup)

RACE 2

Matthew Wilson – JWB Motorsports – VW Scirocco

It would be Matthew Wilson who quickly found himself in charge of the reverse grid race, moving into the lead on the opening lap, followed quickly by Tom Witts. Signs that Wilson was not going to have an easy afternoon started brewing early, with Witts challenging, until himself and Mark Wakefield came to blows on the second lap, sending the latter down the order.

Witts dropped a few positions as a result, allowing Jamie Bond and Toby Davis into position, only for Davis to be spun by Bond at the penultimate corner. It wasn’t long before Paul Taylor joined the action with Wilson and Bond making up the prime scrap on track.

A final lap attack from Bond saw him finally get the run on the leader through Knickerbrook into Druids. He ran wide though, allowing Wilson to go side-by-side with him across the line. In the end it didn’t matter though with Bond handed a 15 second time penalty for his earlier crash with Davis, demoting him to ninth in the order.

This meant Witts was promoted to second after a fairly physical tussle with Ruaridh Clark, who settled for third. Both though would demote Taylor with race one winner Tom Walker a close fifth. The top eight was rounded out by Martin Depper, Owen Walton and Russell Joyce.

Credit: Nick Smith / TheImageTeam.com
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Single-Seater Specialist who worked for TCF from 2015-19. Come finding me wandering the paddock.
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