14.4.2004
VX racing crew secures championship lead for Vauxhall

VX Racing kicked off a new year of BTCC competition smashing a lap record, spraying champagne and racing against time to prepare for the final race.

Celebrating with two wins and two third places each for James Thompson and Yvan Muller, VX Racing completed the Thruxton race weekend as they began – at the top of the championship table.

New VX Racing recruit, Luke Hines, improved his performances as the weekend progressed, with the disappointment of a non-finish in the first race, turning to satisfaction with a fifth place in the third race.

The new format BTCC program with three races in one day and the top ten finishers in the first race having their grid positions reversed for the second produced plenty of drama for VX Racing, both on and off track.

The team entered race day with high hopes of success after James Thompson posted a new touring car lap record in qualifying to give him pole for the season opening race.

In the first race Thompson showed his determination to take the championship spoils away from his team-mate with a flawless drive, leading from the off and retaining this until the chequered flag. Muller settled for third after a hard fight with Neal throughout. Meanwhile Hines could only look on, as an on-track incident brought his race to a premature end.

With reverse grid positions putting VX Racing drivers into the thick of the field for the start of the second race, all of them knew they had to make up places quickly to add to their points tally. Thompson's fortunes changed as he was sidelined early after tangling with Matt Neil, an incident which was to prove extremely challenging for the hard-working VX Racing crew. With less than two hours until the start of the final race, Thompson's mechanics worked furiously to repair extensive upright and rear beam damage. While Thompson returned to the pits car-less, Muller battled to second place and Hines to seventh.

For the third race the format returned to the more usual grid with the positions reflecting the previous race finishing positions, with Muller lining up on the front row alongside Plato, Hines in seventh and Thompson bringing up the rear, on the back row. Muller had an intense battle with Plato to wrest him of the lead and having managed to take him, Muller ensured his hard work paid off and gradually left the field behind him. Thompson wowed the crowd with a drive from the back of the grid to third place in less than fifteen laps to secure a place on the podium.

After the first two rounds of the championship VX Racing lie ahead of their rivals in the manufacturers, team and driver championships, with Muller ahead of Thompson at this early stage of the latter.