CBT Golf comes out of retirement to win / CBT Classic VW Challenge

The CBT Motorsport Golf GTI made a dramatic and successful return to racing at Silverstone over the weekend of 28/29 March 2015, claiming an outright race win and a third-place overall race finish at the home of British motorsport, driven by Steve Wood.

The CBT team had no idea whether the Golf would be competitive for the opening rounds of the CBT Business Travel Classic VW Challenge – it hadn’t turned a wheel in six years and the scrutineering ticket gave its last race as the British GT Championship at Brands Hatch in 2003…

“We were really happy with Friday’s testing times at a very wet and windy Silverstone,” said Stuart Scott. “The Golf is being run by Mike Jordan’s new Jordan Racing Team, and Mike was in attendance to oversee testing.”

Saturday’s qualifying went well and Steve was out on slicks on a very damp track. Up until five minutes from the end of the 15-minute session he was P1 overall and P1 in the CBT Business Travel VW Challenge, and then the heavens opened. Wood pitted for wet tyres but the session ended while he was in the pits and he dropped to fourth overall.

The Burton Power Blue Oval Saloon Championship and VTec Direct Pre-03 series were combined with the VWs to make up a grid of 30 cars. Pole went to Jim McLoughlin in a Honda, followed by Paul Nevill in a Ford Escort, Pantells Christoforou in an Escort with Steve fourth. The next VW was 10th – Chris Adams, more than four seconds behind Steve. Series co-founder Ken Lark was 22nd after an electrical problem and Ian Fowler, series organiser, 23rd.

Race one
At a very windy and still damp Silverstone Steve started from fourth. It was a standing start – the Golf had never made one of these before. Wood dropped to sixth with excessive wheelspin but made his way up to fourth by lap two. He was second a lap later and then led to the end, winning by more than six seconds from Olly Allen in a Ford Fiesta. Ken Lark was second in the CBT Business Travel VW Challenge, followed by Nick Sanderson in a Seat Leon. Steve also took fastest lap at 1.05.747. The car ran faultlessly to collect the first win for JRT, Jordan Racing Team, and the victory was dedicated to CBT Motorsport’s dear friend Les.

Race two
Twenty-four hours later… Wood started from pole on the safe choice of wet tyres on a damp but drying track. But two laps into the race the sun came out and the track dried: wrong choice. Steve led for the first two laps and was then overtaken by Olly Allen in his Fiesta, and then two laps later by Ken Lark in his Corrado. Wood’s tyres continued to go off at an alarming rate but he managed to finish third overall and second in the CBT Business Travel VW Challenge.

“We are very pleased with the Golf’s performance after such a long time parked up in my garage,” said Stuart. “The next round will be at Castle Combe on May Bank Holiday and Steve just loves that circuit.”

Images courtesy Jeremy Meadows