Global RallycrossSpeed claims third win in a row in Atlantic City
Scott Speed (USA) won round nine of this season’s Global Rallycross Championship (GRC). The championship leader in the Andretti Autosport Volkswagen Beetle GRC came home ahead of Patrik Sandell (S) and Brian Deegan (USA) to win the final in Atlantic City (USA). Speed had previously secured pole position in qualifying and won all the A heats and the A semi-final. After victories in New River and Washington, DC (both USA), this was the third win in a row for Speed. His team-mate Tanner Foust (USA) was similarly dominant. He won all of his B heats and the B semi-final. However, fourth place in the final meant he narrowly missed out on the podium. The next race weekend in the Global Rallycross Championship – a double-header, with two events – will take place in Los Angeles (USA) on 8 and 9 October.
TCR International SeriesTwo fourth places for Volkswagen driver Comini in Thailand
Stefano Comini (CH) was the best-placed Volkswagen driver at the eighth race weekend of the TCR International Series in Buriram (T). The Swiss, from Volkswagen customer team Leopard Racing, finished fourth in both races at the Chang International Circuit. A further two Golf GTI TCR drivers finished in the top ten in race one, in the form of Comini’s team-mate Jean-Karl Vernay (F) in fifth and Davit Kajaia (GE, Engstler Motorsport) in tenth place. Kajaia came home fifth behind Comini in race two, while Vernay finished eighth to score valuable championship points. Victory in Thailand went to Seat drivers Pepe Oriola (E) and James Nash (GB). Comini is now third in the Drivers’ Championship with 194 points to his name, just ten points behind the new leader Nash (204 points). Next up for the TCR International Series is the Marina Bay Circuit in Singapore on 16 and 17 September.
British Touring Car ChampionshipSmith fights back to take victory
Aron Smith (IRL) claimed an impressive victory at the eighth race weekend of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) in Rockingham. Smith started race three from down in 21st place in the Volkswagen CC, but launched a stunning fightback, during which he benefitted from three safety car phases. Smith successfully fended off the attacks of two double BTCC champions, Gordon Shedden and Colin Turkington (both GB), throughout the entire race and eventually crossed the finish line 0.400 and 0.572 seconds clear of his rivals. Silverstone (GB) hosts the next round of the British Touring Car Championship on 17 and 18 September.
Volkswagen Fun Cup UKJPR UVio wins four-hour race in Silverstone
The JPR UVio team won race number five of this season’s Volkswagen Fun Cup UK in Silverstone (GB). The number 225 car started from last on the grid, but worked its way through the field in a race dominated by showers to cross the finish line in first place after four hours – 158 laps – of racing. The runners-up from the Torque 2 Rent Dominos team came home over a minute behind the winners, with the CCS Media team over a lap back in third place. The next race in the Fun Cup UK will take place on Anglesey (GB) on 24 September.
Next up:
02/09–04/09/2016FIA World Rallycross Championship, Lohéac (F)
03/09/2016GTI Challenge, Killarney Raceway (ZA)
