SuperPro VAG Trophy Rounds 5 & 6 Snetterton 300 15th & 16th June 2013

Race reports

This weekend’s SuperPro VAG Trophy double-header on Snetterton’s 300 circuit continued the season’s now familiar trend of dramatic racing, when Arron Mason won Saturday’s round five and Ken Lark did likewise in Sunday’s round six. As usual, the races were no straightforward affair and, with 34 cars entered, there was always going to be action.

Following the cancellation of the year’s first meeting at Oulton Park in March, due to bad weather, series promoters MSVR added the two postponed rounds to this weekend’s high profile programme that featured British GT, BRDC F4 and VW Cup races. Consequently, with VW Cup cars eligible to run in Class A in the SuperPro VAG Trophy, the weekend’s grid was bolstered by a number of drivers that chose to enter both championships.

This cross-fertilization was evident from the qualifying session on Saturday, when the Golf Mk5s of Martin Depper and Arron Mason lined up alongside each other on the front row. But behind them the balance was redressed, with two regulars from the SuperPro sponsored series occupying the second row, in the form of 2012 Champion and round one winner Paul Taylor in his Mk4 Golf R32 and regular series front-runner Joe McMillan in his Seat Leon Cupra.

However, on damp and drying track, Taylor could have given more, if his four-wheel-drive VW had not broken a driveshaft towards the end of the session. Further down the field, James Bradley-Silverstone qualified his Seat Leon in 16th place and first of the Class B runners, whilst James Dowding was second in the category and first of the competitors contesting the Mk4 Golf TDI/GTI Challenge.

Race 1 (round 5)

Competitors lined up for the first of the weekend’s two races on a relatively dry track, the Class A cars on slicks and the Class B runners on treaded road tyres by virtue of the category regulations. The first three cars got off the line well and retained their grid positions throughout the first lap, with Depper, Mason and Taylor separated by less than a second as they began lap two.

But the man to watch was Seat Leon driver Dan Rose, who had from fifth on the grid to fourth and was now on the attack. Then, as the leader braked for the hairpin at Agostini, his car appeared to lose power and immediately slowed. This allowed Mason to take the lead with Taylor briefly second, until Rose went past the R32 driver before the end of the lap.

Not content to stop there, a bold move into Coram allowed Rose to get alongside Mason and then take the lead as they crossed the line to start lap four. But the 2011 Champion’s glory was short-lived, as the re-appearance of the rain saw him slide wide at turn one, the right-hander of Riches, with McMillan also going off from fifth place on the same lap.

At this point, Taylor took the opportunity to get past Mason and therefore, at the end of lap four, the race was to see its fourth leader in as many laps. But Mason was not giving up that easily and on the next lap re-took the lead and then proceeded to hold off Taylor’s advances for the remaining three laps.

In the meantime, Rose was making a comeback and, on the last corner of the last lap, he left his braking as late as he dare on the approach to Murray’s chicane. The maneuver could have gone either way, but fortunately for third-placed Stuart Lines in his Mk 5 Golf GTI – and unfortunately for Rose – this eleventh-hour attempt for a podium place saw the Seat driver end up on the grass and having to settle for fourth.

With Bradley-Silverstone getting no further than the first lap, it was Dowding who collected the Class B honours, following a determined drive that netted him an impressive seventh place overall. The similar TDI/GTI Challenge Golf of Mike Smith was second of the Class B runners, whilst Steve Rowland completed the top three in the category driving his Mk2 Golf GTI.

Click here for round five results

Race 2 (round 6)

The weather on Sunday was a wholly different affair and, although clouds still punctuated the Norfolk skies, there was no evidence of rain. With the finishing positions of the first race dictating the starting positions for the second, it meant that Mason started from pole, with Taylor alongside him.

When the lights went green, the run down to the first corner saw the now familiar sight of Taylor’s red Golf out-drag the rest of the field. However, by the end of the first lap his closest pursuer was Ken Lark, who had elbowed his way through from fifth on the gird. He was followed by Rose - and then Mason - who had managed to get himself caught up in some first-lap antics.

Having retired from the previous round of the championship at Cadwell Park with a blown engine, Lark was on fire – but not in the same way as he was last time out. This time it was a metaphoric blaze rather than real flames that were emanating from his VW Corrado, as he made the most of his new power-plant and overtook Taylor by the end of the second lap.

Right behind and ready to pounce if the leading pair got it wrong, were Rose and Mason, who themselves swapped places on lap five. Then, a lap later on the circuit’s infield section, Taylor was seen spinning onto the grass and then glancing off an Armco barrier. Although he rejoined the race, any chance of a top placing was now over, as he continued to circulate in eighth for the remaining two laps.

All this activity behind him allowed Lark to pull out a small gap ahead of Mason, who was at first pursued by Rose and then Stewart Lines, another VW Cup competitor in a Mk5 Golf GTI, who edged into third place on the final lap. Lark went on to record his first ever SuperPro VAG Trophy victory and was understandably delighted with the result, especially following the disappointment of his previous outing at Cadwell Park.

Dowding rounded off a perfect weekend by doing the double in Class B, with Rob Allum pleased to score an excellent second, having returned to the championship for the first time since last year. The Seat Ibiza driver finished just ahead of Rowland, who rounded off his weekend with another third in Class B.

Also worthy of a mention is Dave Garnsworthy, who finished in 19th place driving his instantly recognisable VW Caddy van. Another regular VW Cup competitor, Garnsworthy commented that he had enjoyed his temporary migration into the VAG Trophy and found the racing ‘great fun’.

Consequently, with two full grids and two fiercely fought races during the course of the weekend, the SuperPro VAG Trophy organisers were extremely pleased that the competitiveness of the series for cars based on a pre-2006 Golf platform was clear to see, alongside the other prestigious championships that were represented at the meeting.

Click here for round six results

The second half of the 2013 SuperPro VAG Trophy season kicks off in style, with rounds seven and eight taking place at the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium on 13th & 14th July. This event will mark the first ever overseas foray for the championship and, if the first half of the year is anything to go by, the topography and technical nature of this F1 venue is destined to provide yet another exciting two races.

The 2013 SuperPro VAG Trophy is sponsored by: SuperPro suspension parts, Dunlop tyres, Milltek Sport, Tarox brakes, Forge Motorsport, Petronas oils, Bilstein suspension, Louth Volksworld, JCM Direct and the Lubricant Consultancy.

Highlights of the races will be shown on Motors TV. Please check TV listings for details.

Sources 
www.vagtrophyracing.co.uk
www.superpro.eu.com