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05 June 2009…/VX Racing will be looking for cooler British temperatures next weekend as the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) heads to the North Yorkshire circuit of Croft for the fifth round of the series. The team and its trio of talented drivers, reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi, championship leader Matt Neal and youngster Andrew Jordan, all have a point to prove and are aiming for victory at the Darlington circuit. At the previous round in Oulton Park, the front wheel drive Vauxhall struggled in the heat of the British summer. With temperatures topping 27 degrees, the tyre degradation became a significant issue in the team’s quest for victory. Next weekend at Croft the VX Racing team will be hoping that the temperatures remain cooler, to aid their championship challenge, Only two points now separate Neal from nearest rival Turkington in the Driver’s championship as the race for the title heats up. Championship leader Neal commented, “We are heading to Croft with fresh minds. We will see what pace we can draw out of the Vauxhall, but we expect three very hard races. I love Croft, it has a good mixture of everything, It has some big commitment, high speed corners, as well as long straights and slow corners. The atmosphere there is great, the North Eastern crowds are brilliant and they really get stuck in with the cheering and the booing. “We are carrying more weight than Colin (Turkington) in this next race, the small two points gap we have are worth nine kilos. But then you have to look at it that come the end of the season, the points gap could be the difference between winning and losing the championship, so I’m happy to carry it.” Giovanardi, who lies only 19 points behind in the championship battle added, “If it is as hot as it was at Oulton Park, we will face similarly difficult conditions, I would prefer it to be cooler, although rain might favour us. That is one factor that is outside of our control, but could play a big part in our fortunes over the weekend. The rear wheel drive cars will undoubtedly be more suited to this track than the Vauxhall, but as a team we have the experience and determination to give them a run for their money.” After three strong point scores at Oulton Park, Jordan is looking ahead to the next round, “I like Croft, it’s a high speed circuit and you need guts for some parts of the track which makes it a good challenge for a driver. Again, I think the BMWs and the Chevrolets will prove strong round there, but we will work on it and we will be there or thereabouts come race day. “To prepare for a race weekend I usually watch last year’s coverage to reacquaint myself with the track and I’ll also work on my fitness. We saw in the heat at Oulton how a driver needs to be race fit, Sunday is a long day and we need to be as prepared as we can be.” The BTCC round at Croft, Darlington takes place on the 13/14th June, with practice and qualifying on Saturday, before the first of three races start at midday on Sunday. VX Racing currently lead the way in all three championships, the Drivers, Team’s and Manufacturers/Constructors and are aiming to leave the North Yorkshire circuit still at the top.

Five-time FIA World Rally Champion, Sebastien Loeb, will make his Goodwood debut at this year’s Festival of Speed (3-5 July) behind the wheel of his Citroën C4 WRC. Loeb, the most successful rally driver in history, will demonstrate his incredible car control on the famous 1.16 mile Goodwood Hill and the event’s challenging purpose-built Forest Rally Stage on the Saturday of the three-day motorsport spectacle. The celebrated Frenchman’s dominant Citroën C4 WRC will be on display in the dedicated World Rally Championship paddock, located near the main Formula One paddock area at the Festival. A rare ex-works Group B Citroën BX 4TC rally car will also be in action on the Goodwood Forest Rally Stage, where Loeb will be joined by a host of rally legends past and present including Walter Rohl, Stig Blomqvist, Hannu Mikkola, Bjorn Waldegaard and Rauno Aaltonen. Loeb, who has campaigned with Citroën throughout his WRC career, narrowly missed out on the title in his first full season in 2003. A year later, he clinched the crown to begin a run of five consecutive titles and having won the opening five rounds of the 2009 Championship, he has yet another title firmly in his sights.

All the celebrations for Mini’s 50th anniversary have gone to the head of the organisers of the Classic Motor Show, held at Birmingham’s NEC from 13th to 15th November 2009. They are giving the fantastic 1960 Morris Mini restored at last year’s show away in a text-to-win competition. For just 50p plus your standard network charge, you can enter to win a classic Mini of your own. ‘Mo’ as the red Morris Mini has been nicknamed, was restored to its former glory live on stage at the 2008 Classic Motor Show by Edd China from TV’s Wheeler Dealers programme. Edd gave the classic red Mini the TLC it needed after five owners and 56,600 miles on the clock, ironing out any niggles and replacing worn parts with new ones such as a carburettor and chrome fittings including early bumpers with over riders, glass indicator lenses, headlight bezels as well as a new windscreen. Once all the mechanical work was finished, the expert team from Meguiar’s gave ‘Mo’ a full detailing using the full range of their world class car care products, leaving him looking as good, if not better, than new! They also left a gift pack of Meguiar’s products in the back, for the lucky winner. Between now and the 2009 Classic Motor Show, ‘Mo’ will be out and about at other events such as Beaulieu, Goodwood Revival and the International Mini Meeting later in the year, giving you plenty of opportunities to see ‘Mo’ and enter for your chance to win. ‘Mo’ will be presented to one lucky winner at this year’s spectacular event held from 13th to 15th November at Birmingham’s NEC. To win the Mini, just text one of the answers to the following question to 80480 along with your name and address. Q: Which anniversary is the classic Mini celebrating in 2009. A1: Mini Bronze A2: Mini Silver A3: Mini Golden Each text costs just 50p plus your standard network charge. Free postal entry is also available by sending a letter clearly stating your choice of answer (from those listed), name, address and contact telephone numbers to Mini Quiz, Clarion Events Ltd, Block A, The NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT. The winner will be chosen at random and presented with the car at the 2009 Classic Motor Show. The full terms and conditions are available to view on the Classic Motor Show website (www.necclassicmotorshow.com). The place to share your passion for classics, the Classic Motor Show has over 1,200 spectacular cars from all over the world. Every motoring taste is catered for with around 200 of Britain’s best motoring clubs creating impressive displays of unusual and breathtaking marques while over 300 trade stands sell a wide range of parts, spares, tools, motoring services and memorabilia. If you prefer two wheels, there is a dedicated Classic Bike hall complete with club displays, classic bike concours, stage interviews and the popular bike jumble. For more information and the latest show updates, visit www.necclassicmotorshow.com.

The Volkswagen Scirocco GT24’s powered by natural gas and petrol engines superbly mastered the world’s most difficult circuit marathon, the 24-hour race on the Nurburgring, by clinching two class victories.

Wind tunnel testing has been a key element in the development of the A1GP