PODIUM FINISH SMALL CONSOLATION FOR VX RACING AT SNETTERTON

Snetterton proved to be a challenge for the VX Racing Astra Sport Hatch this weekend in the seventh event of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, with its long straights not suiting this year’s new car, but Yvan Muller used all his racing prowess to bring home the only podium of the day for VX Racing, with a third place finish in the final race of the day. Muller’s trophy winning finish rounded off consistent performances for the Frenchman with two fourth place finishes in the first and second races of the day. Young VX Racing driver, Colin Turkington, had mixed results with two seventh place finishes and a DNF due to mechanical problems.

Gavin Smith also turned in solid performances with ninth, eleventh and eighth place finishes in races one, two and three respectively. With additional points for fastest lap times in the second and third races, Muller stays second in the drivers championship and with all three drivers adding to the points tally, Vauxhall remain in the lead of the manufacturers championship.

Saturday's qualifying session resulted in Muller as the lead VX Racing Astra Sport Hatch lying in fourth place on the grid for the first race, with Turkington lining up alongside him in fifth and Smith further back on the fifth row in ninth place. These start positions reflected the pace of the VX Racing team, as Muller summed up after the first race and finishing in fourth, "I think that was the best we could do. Our car is good through the corners but not quick enough down the straights. It is not a problem with the engine, it is more that the car is wide. We lose about two to three kph on the straight – it’s not much, but it’s too much."

Teammate Turkington started well, shadowing Muller and settling into fourth place until running wide on the last lap, which ended with the Irishman taking an excursion across the grass, some engine damage and a seventh place finish. Smith, meanwhile, started from ninth, moved up in the opening laps, but fell back to ninth in the closing stages.
In the second race, reduced ballast for Muller and Turkington was expected to help the straightline speed of the VX Racing Astra Sport Hatch, but neither driver was able to improve on their race one finish position.

Muller held third spot for most of the race but on the last lap a tap on the rear bumper from championship leader, Matt Neal, challenging from behind sent Muller wide and Neal slipped through to take away the podium position. Turkington was unable to improve on his seventh place start position, saying after finishing seventh: "We are still struggling for overall pace as we don’t have the straightline speed. I hope to take advantage of the reverse grid for the third race to start near the front, and hope we can stay there!" Smith, after losing ground to the hard-charging SEATs was unable to claim tenth for the third race pole and forced to settle for eleventh.