No more road tax and...
No more road tax and less duty on fuel - that"s what is expected to be in Labour"s manifesto for next year"s General Election. But there would be a price to pay; a dramatic expansion in the number of toll roads. The idea is to charge drivers for how much they use their car, not simply owning it.
Vauxhall is back in...
Vauxhall is back in business. In an effort to rediscover its title-winning form, VX Racing has ditched its disappointing Astra Sport Hatch. An exciting new Vectra-based racer has been introduced for the 2007 Dunlop British Touring Car Championship, which roars into action with three rounds at Brands Hatch, Kent, on Sunday.
“We’re confident the Vectra will be more competitive,” said Vauxhall’s motorsport boss Mike Nicholson. And the stopwatch agrees. In recent pre-season testing, VXR drivers Fabrizio Giovanardi and Tom Chilton have outpaced the more fancied SEATs and BMWs. “The car is better for racing,” added Nicholson. “It has multi-link rear suspension, which is more flexible than the beam axle on the Astra.
“There’s also more room under the bonnet, so we can improve air management. It has a longer wheelbase and is better aerodynamically, too. I’m sure switching cars is the right decision, but we’ll find out soon enough.”
The newcomer follows in the footsteps of some hugely successful cars, as Vauxhall has racked up an unrivalled 101 race wins since introducing the Cavalier in 1991. Even the little loved Sport Hatch, which competed in 2005 and 2006, recorded a respectable 10 victories from 60 starts. But the three-door always had a mountain to climb, not only as the Auto Express-backed series has become far more competitive of late, but also as it succeeded VX Racing’s all-conquering Astra Coupé, which had taken four straight BTCC drivers’, manufacturers’ and teams’ titles. “People tend to forget how well the Sport Hatch performed,” said Nicholson. “But when you’re used to winning everything as we were with the Coupé, I guess it was disappointing.” Yet those frustrations are now behind everyone at VXR and, judging by the Vectra’s pace, the team could be targeting titles rather than just race wins in 2007. While understandably guarded, Nicholson says he’s “cautiously optimistic” about the new car’s chances on Sunday. “Of course, it would be nice to win on the car’s debut at Brands, but that’s probably asking too much,” he told us. “SEAT has to start as favourite as it has a proven product. We’ve been developing a new car which has only around six or seven weeks of track time under its belt. But the drivers get out of the Vectra smiling, which is a good sign. They say it reacts well to changes in the set-up.” Star man Giovanardi is certainly impressed. “I instantly felt it was a step up from the Astra,” said the 40-year-old. “And the team thinks the car has more potential due to its consistency on long runs.”
Having captured touring car titles around the world, the Italian – who debuted in the BTCC last year – is relishing the challenge. “I’m confident; I hope to win, and think we’ll be fast from the start,” he predicted.
Team-mate Chilton is also upbeat about the squad’s fortunes during the forthcoming season, not least because he is keen to rediscover his winning touch in his sixth BTCC season at the age of 22. Having taken half a dozen victories in a privateer Honda, Surrey-based Chilton had a tricky first term as a factory driver with VXR in 2006. But, like Giovanardi, he believes the new Vectra will be a major force.
“It looks big next to the SEAT Leon and Honda Civic, yet it’s wider, longer and more stable than the Astra, and the independent wishbone suspension means it’s better over kerbs. But it’s up to us to get the maximum out of the Vectra. I need to win races, knuckle down and fight for the title.”