Double delight for Steve Wood and the CBT Golf / CBT Classic VW Challenge

After just a two-week break the CBT Business Travel Classic VW Challenge headed to Mallory Park in Leicestershire. The 1.35-mile circuit has just reopened and was a new circuit for the CBT Golf. After race wins at Silverstone and Castle Combe the plan was to keep the momentum going but with two long straights and a sharp hairpin it was going to be a challenge for the 1.8 VW Golf.

Qualifying was early afternoon on the Saturday and, after a brief threat of rain, Steve took to the track for the 15-minute session in dry but blustery conditions. Initially Steve ran second overall but dropped to fourth midway through the session. As predicted the CBT Golf was struggling with straight-line speed down the two main straights and also the first-gear hairpin where the car was experiencing turbo lag on the exit of the corner. With just four minutes to go Steve managed to top the time sheets with a provisional pole position time of 50.204s which came under pressure from both Andy Thompson and Daniel Rose in their SEATs towards the end of the session. Steve held on to pole by 0.524s with an average speed of 96.80mph. Steve was delighted with the result but knew he would have to work hard in the two races to keep the SEATs behind him.

Race 1 was on Sunday morning, with track damp from morning rain. Andy Thompson was absent which left the CBT Golf alone on the front row. Steve and Stuart decided to take a gamble and the CBT Golf appeared on the grid as the only car out of 15 starters to be on dry racing slick tyres.

There were two warm-up laps as the track conditions were different from qualifying, Steve trying to get as much heat as possible into the slick tyres as everyone lined up behind him on wets. At the start the CBT Golf suffered excessive wheelspin and the fast-starting SEAT Leon of Daniel Rose got in front. For six laps the SEAT stayed ahead of Steve until the CBT driver made a bold overtaking move around the outside at Gerard’s Bend. Once ahead Steve managed to open up an eight-second gap as the wet tyres on the SEAT overheated on the virtually dry track. It was a bold move to start on dry tyres but one that paid off in the end as the CBT Golf took its fourth race win of the season. Steve’s fastest lap was 55.269s with the fastest lap of the race going to Rob Allum in his class B VW Golf GTI in 54.793s.

Race 2 was late on Sunday and the track surface was completely dry with everyone starting on slick tyres. Andy Thompson had managed to fix his car issues which prevented him from racing in race 1 and would start from the back of the grid. Steve would again start from pole position and at the start, as he did in race 1, he dropped behind Daniel Rose’s SEAT. Lap after lap the CBT Golf tried to get past the SEAT and, after seven laps, Steve did the same manoeuvre as in race 1 and got past around the outside of Gerard’s Bend. “The Seat was so quick in a straight line and exiting the Hairpin that Gerard’s was my only chance,” said Steve after the race.

The SEAT managed to stay with the CBT Golf for the next five laps but at the end Steve managed to open up a four-second advantage as the CBT Golf took win number five of the 2015 season. Andy Thompson finished 3s behind Daniel Rose after his charge from the back of the grid, setting the fastest lap of the race on his way. “What the CBT Golf lacked in straight-line speed was more than made up for by the excellent handling, especially through the very quick Gerard’s Bend and the John Cooper Esses,” said a delighted Steve and Stuart.

The next CBT Business Travel Classic VW Challenge race for the Golf will be at Donington Park, 6/7 June.