Andy Wilmot and Howard Fuller raced in the final round of the VW Cup Championship this weekend at Donington Park with Andy taking home the trophy after having competed in the championships previous rounds with Maximum Motorsport.

Andy secured his fourth silverware of the year and the overall crown this weekend, finishing with a total of 228 points; 20 more than his closest rival. Andy came into the weekend trailing Richard Gilbert by 10 points.

Andy

“Without a doubt, this has been a mega weekend at Donington Park. This is my first weekend with Team HARD. Racing and in every way, shape and form it’s been great, right from when I got here for testing on Friday.

“The car has been really good. The guys have done nothing but help me and put up with me being ridiculously hyper-active. I’ve had my highs and my lows and have been feeling as if the weight of the world is on my shoulders because of the pressure. However, the car was great, everyone in the team has been great and we’ve won the championship, so I am very thankful and humbled!”

Howard

“What an eventful weekend that was. Firstly, a huge thank you to all the Team HARD. Racing guys and girls for all their hard work over the weekend and of course a big congratulations to Andy for wrapping up the championship.

“The team run like clock-work, I was so impressed and am grateful for the opportunity, even the boss himself Tony Gilham made an appearance! Qualifying was relatively positive, I was leading the group the entire session in mixed conditions but then lost out on pole on the dry final lap which was a shame, however started P3 for race 1 and P2 for race 3.

“In Race 1 we unfortunately had to pit immediately with a gear box issue which meant us missing the start of the race but dramas on track brought us time to fix the issue. We managed to drive our way to the front and lead for a few laps but then a significant tyre failure meant we slowly dropped back to 4^th. On the final lap, I let my team mate pass for precious points in the championship. What a guy…

“Race 2 from the front row was just a battle from the word go and was exciting, close racing. We finished in P3 which gave us some silverware. Unfortunately, in race 3, I was out in front but with the slipstream and a few extra pony’s in the stable I was caught, the gap closed and with only 7 minutes to go at the exit of Coppice, I was turned around and sent into the barriers at high speed head on. A disappointing end to a positive day.

“Overall, it was fantastic to be back in a race car competing after so many years and to be comfortably at the front in contention for victory, but I seem to have the worst luck in the game! Again, huge thank you to everyone involved. We’ll be back.”

Tony Gilham- Managing Director

“Firstly, a huge congratulations to Andy for winning the championship and bringing home the trophy. His driving was fantastic, and he deserved the win. It was great for the team to be back in the VW Cup for another weekend and this year’s pairing of Andy and Howard was incredibly strong.

“We have a proven track record in the series and Andy has allowed us to keep that title. We came to Donington to win and the boys worked well together as a team to ensure that happened. They are both incredibly strong drivers with immense talent and skill out on the track which is why we are in the position we are in now.

“Unfortunately, Howard’s car has got some extensive damage to it after his crash into the barrier during race 3 but the main thing is that he is ok and was able to get back out on the track this weekend and get some great driving in”.

Former BTCC driver Andrew Wilmot will complete the final round of the VW Cup championship this weekend with Team HARD. Racing after having competed in the championships previous rounds with Maximum Motorsport.

Wilmot is a familiar face in the VW Cup world, competing in the championship for the first time in 2012. This year, he has competed in each round of the championship at Oulton Park and Silverstone and currently sits 2^nd in the series with a total of 114 points.

Wilmot is no stranger to the team, having made his debut in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with Team HARD. Racing in 2013 driving a Volkswagen CC NGTC after replacing driver Tom Onslow-Cole.

Wilmot’s racing career began in the Ford Fiesta Championship in 2010 and since then, he has also competed in the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup in 2017 and the Renault Clio Cup more recently in 2018, achieving 4 wins, 9 podiums and 2 pole positions throughout his career. He is currently a team manager within the BTCC paddock for the 2020 season.

Wilmot will partner previous VW Cup race winner Howard Fuller this weekend to create a strong and experienced team that will create some close competition between those drivers who are positioned higher on the leader board.

Wilmot commented: “I’m very excited to be back racing with Tony (Gilham) and Team HARD. Racing for the final round of the VW Cup this weekend at Donington after 7 years away from the team.

“So far, it’s been a really good season for me in the VW Cup and I’m currently holding second place in the driver standings. Obviously, the aim is to sneak myself into that first position this weekend and take the championship. I think partnering with someone as experienced and competitive as Howard hopefully puts us in really good stead to take that VW trophy home on Sunday night!”

Team HARD. Racing’s Managing Director, Tony Gilham added: “It’s great to have Andy back in the Team HARD. Racing camp this weekend after he raced with us in the British Touring Car Championship in 2013. He has had a great season in the VW Cup so far and has been up on the podium multiple times, which in such a competitive field is a great achievement.

“I’m really glad that he has chosen Team HARD. Racing to be the team to hopefully take him to the title come Sunday afternoon. Andy has always been a great driver and a great personality to have around, which is another reason why I’m delighted that he’s going to be partnering with his good friend Howard Fuller this weekend, so watch out for those two as they try and hit the front in all three races!”

The VW Cup circus heads to Donington Park for the season finale this weekend which will be streamed live across Facebook and YouTube.

Powell, who runs the Motus One squad, is a familiar face in endurance racing paddocks and has spent the season competing in GT Cup and Britcar. He is also a development driver for Brabham Automotive and raced the BT62 in 2019. Despite his motorsport experience, this will be his first foray into front-wheel-drive saloon car competition and he’s looking forward to the opportunity.

Powell said: “It’s been a crazy season with plans changing every week so when the chance came to try something different with Team HARD. in the VW Cup I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve always loved touring cars so it’ll be great to try the VW Cup and get a taste of this style of racing with an outfit as experienced as Team HARD. It’ll be a steep learning curve but we’re looking forward to the challenge and getting stuck in.”

Fuller, who was due to participle in the British Touring Car Championship with the team prior to the Coronavirus outbreak will return to the VW Cup series for the first time since 2015, a season that saw Fuller stand on the podium six times.

Fuller commented: “What an up and down year it’s been for me in terms of racing! It was an honour to be asked to step in for Mike Bushell in the team’s VW CC British Touring Car for the first three race weekends of the original calendar. We went to Spain to test the cars, completed media day at Silverstone and then everything was stopped in it’s tracks due to COVID-19.

“I turned to being a delivery driver through the initial lockdown period which was something a little different for me and now I’m here, back in the VW Cup after five years away. What a rollercoaster!

I’ve been with Team HARD. since 2012 and honestly, I can’t see myself anywhere else. They are a great bunch, and I will be doing my upmost this weekend to bring them yet more silverware in a series which has proved fruitful in the past for us.”

Team HARD. Racing participated in the season opener at a damp Oulton Park with RCiB Insurance scholarship winner Ollie Brown behind the wheel taking a second place before missing the championships last rounds at Silverstone.

Tony Gilham, Team HARD. Racing’s Managing Director added: “It’s good to be back in the VW Cup for another weekend. We have a proven track record in this series which was further cemented by Ollie’s performance in the season opener at Oulton.

“We will be going to Donington Park with the aim to win and our pairing of Will and Howard is one of, if not the strongest in the series. Bring it on.”

The VW Cup circus heads to Donington Park for the season finale this weekend which will be streamed LIVE across Facebook and Youtube.

Ollie Brown

What an incredible weekend, I am over the moon with how it panned out. To be honest I actually thought I was in 5^th place in race 2, if I would have known I may have tried to make a move on him but he was driving very well defensively and overall I’m happy, very happy.

We have a few teething issues at the beginning of the day and we took the safer option to start race 1 from the pits with the things that are going on but it was very good and in race 2 I was much more confident.

I only got my ARDS licence 4 weeks ago now, so I am very inexperienced and used to being in the passenger seat having been an instructor at Palmersport. For me, these events are all about getting track knowledge, some car knowledge and getting to know how Motorsport works.

I could not ask to be part of a better team to help me get into Motorsport. People say this team is a family team and I am experiencing this first-hand. Team HARD. Racing is a great team to be a part of. They make me feel happy and content.

Tony Gilham

A podium is a really satisfying result, especially on a track that Ollie has never been to before against a host of newer MK7 Golfs. With no testing on these weekends Ollie went straight into qualifying having never been on the track in the dry, let alone the wet. He did a great job of staying out of trouble and the team took the decision to start race 1 from the pitlane to avoid any potential trouble into the opening corner.

Ollie did a great job, driving to the conditions in each session and it all came together in the final race of the day taking a podium on debut against some very established VW Racing Cup competitors.

We have a week off this week so we will be working with Ollie on the next opportunity to get out on track.

After losing three months of the racing season, the BRSCC are using the time left to attempt to include all race series and championships in a cut-back revised calendar. This means the season will now be based on four rounds with a similar dates and venues as the original 2020 calendar.

Revised 2020 Volkswagen Racing Cup Calendar:

Oulton Park – 18th July

Silverstone – 12th/13th September

Donington Park – 17th/18th October

TBA

Please note: These dates are still subject to change and we will have to wait for Motorsport UK to make the final decision to allow us to go racing.

Yardley-Rose was selected by MSUK to be one of their Academy Squad drivers for 2020 and is hoping to attend Loughborough College in September on the MSUK DISE program.  Yardley-Rose will be entering his 1^st year of involvement with Team HARD after initially entering the team’s scholarship programme at the beginning of the year.

Tony Gilham said, “I’m delighted to have young Harry and his family join us for the 2020 season.

Harry already has a wealth of racing experience having participated in karting for the last seven years which will prove valuable knowledge when he takes to the track in 2020. Karting is such an important aspect of a young racers career as it teaches them vital wheel to wheel combat skills and provides great race management knowledge.

We met Harry at our scholarship programme at the beginning of the year and whilst he didn’t come out as the overall winner, we were thoroughly impressed with his application throughout the process from his driving ability to his media interviews.

I’m looking forward to seeing Harry’s development this season both on and off the track.”

Yardley-Rose had this to add. “I have been karting for 7 years and narrowly missed out on the Junior TKM class title in the MSUK championship by a single point last year which was disappointing but overall satisfying as I know I can mix it at the front.

I really enjoyed the team’s scholarship programme in January and learnt a lot in a short space of time with the team. The VW Golf was a great car when I drove it on the scholarship day so when this opportunity came about, I was desperate to get involved and cannot wait to start testing ahead of the new season.

I am really looking forward to continuing my racing career and by joining Team HARD. Racing for the 2020 season. I feel this is a step in the right direction.”

It was announced last week that due to the current Coronavirus pandemic the VW Racing Cup will run a reduced calendar of 4 rounds starting with Oulton Park over the 18^th July. You can catch Yardley-Rose and the rest of the Team HARD. Racing squad LIVE across multiple streaming platform once the season gets underway.

Motorsport UK today has announced plans as to how it proposes restarting motorsport across its eleven sporting disciplines.

Motorsport is currently suspended throughout the UK until 30th June 2020. Although it is understood there will continue to be levels of government restrictions and social distancing in place for a considerable period, Motorsport UK has been considering how to restart the sport, within the parameters set out by government and healthcare authorities.

Significant planning has taken place involving consultation with stakeholders from across the sport and Motorsport UK’s specialist committees, to conceive how the sport can be restarted at the appropriate time, while adhering to the government’s prevailing guidelines.

Motorsport, unlike many other sports, takes place in large outdoor environments, so that with practical measures in place, much of motorsport should be able to resume, provided modifications are made to many of the sport’s established protocols.

Motorsport UK CEO, Hugh Chambers said, “This project has involved a wide representation of the motorsport community coming together and examining how each aspect of every discipline can be adapted to respect government advice on social distancing, and the broader needs of the community. As ever with Motorsport, our responsibility is to the safety of both our community and the wider public. It is important that when we do restart motorsport that we do so in a safe and responsible fashion that respects the broader public health agenda and mood of the nation.

“We will all need to modify the way we have worked in the past and accept these changes in a collaborative and constructive way. Motorsport has always thrived on innovation and adaptability to overcome problems, and it has been enormously encouraging to see the community come together and freely contributing to re-imagine every part of our sport, and the practicalities of each event.”

Motorsport UK continues to collaborate with government through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and will update its guidance, accordingly, should there be substantial changes in government advice or restrictions.

For further information please visit the Motorsport UK website.

T​here are a host of racing championships around the world that celebrate the legendary German speed contraption. In the UK, the VW Racing Cup is where drivers race Golfs around some of the country’s best tracks to win the coveted VW Cup.

I was lucky enough to experience a few hot laps next to a driver, Mike Epps, who has won numerous races in the VW Racing Cup series. Not to mention experience a crazy, track ready, weight stripped Golf Gti!

WHAT IT IS?

T​his Golf is a Mk6 Golf Gti that has been stripped, tuned and put on track by the British Touring Car team: Team HARD Racing.

I​S IT FAST?

Y​ea! Weighing just 1300 kilos and with 280bhp, it is a quick thing. Think of it as a road legal racing car, because that is exactly what it is.

C​AN I BUY ONE?

T​eam HARD will build you one if you ask them nicely. A host of these are being make for customers at the moment and an exciting race series that will take place in Spain.

W​ATCH THE TRACK FOCUSED GOLF GTI VIDEO!

Stuart – Is it fast? DRIVETRIBE

Chandler will be entering his 2^nd year of involvement with the team and will be making his debut in the VW Racing Cup championship in 2020.

Tony Gilham said, “Steven has been an integral part of the team since he joined midway through the 2019 season. He’s a fresh, young talent who has incredible maturity for his age which has helped him get to this point in his career at such at just 17. Having watched Steven on track with us last year, he shows great composure when under sustained pressure and remains level headed when things might not go according to plan, it’s these traits that help create a fantastic driver. The VW Racing Cup is the perfect platform for Steven to take his driving to the next level and have a crack at a full season with the team.

Chandler added, “First of all I would like to give a massive thank you to Team HARD. Racing and my Sponsors for this great opportunity. I am extremely grateful and proud to be part of such an amazing programme and I can’t wait to get going! I am going to be racing in the VW Racing Cup for the first time for the 2020 season. So far the team has already proved that they can provide me with a race winning car after claiming back to back titles in 2017/2018!

I believe that this is a positive step to take in my pursuit for a career in the BTCC. A number of drivers from the VW Racing Cup have gone on to graduate to the top level of British motorsport so I’ll be looking to emulate those drivers in the near future.

The 2019 season was a brilliant season after starting off in the BMW Compact Cup and then graduating to the Team HARD. Racing Ginetta G55 in the GT Cup Championship where me and my teammate achieved 4 wins out of 4. At the end of the season I also took part in the Britcar ‘into the night’ race and came away with 2 podiums out of 2. If 2019 is anything to go by 2020 will be a blast.”

Gilham went on to say, “We believe Steven has the potential to go to the top and we all know that it is very important to build a career on solid foundations. So, the decision was made to enter Steven in the VW Racing Cup for 2020. Steven might only be 17 but he has a wealth of experience in the junior formula and showed his talents in 2019, winning the multiple races with the team in the GT Cup against a very competitive field. I truly believe Steven will be mixing it near the front this season and will work well with our other young VW Racing Cup driver, Scott McIntyre.”