Didge Dziurzynski dominated the Donington Park rounds of the Volkswagen Racing Cup in association with Hankook today (Sunday) to displace reigning champion Joe Fulbrook from the top of the points standings.
In both races, one dry and one in damp conditions, Dziurzynski was certainly the class of the field. He headed home Fulbrook and Cup returnee Tony Gilham in round nine, while in round 10, the impressive Gilham got the better of Fulbrook as the same faces appeared on the podium.
‘It’s been an absolutely brilliant weekend,’ said an elated Dziurzynski. ‘I had a bit of a bad start to the second race as I was really struggling with traction but then everything worked out well. Even when the rain came, it didn’t unsettle the car at all. I can’t fault the car as it’s performed brilliantly all weekend. It’s definitely going to be a great end to the championship.’
Didge qualified comfortably on pole position for the first of the weekend’s two races on the 1.95-mile National Circuit, the Mk IV Golf driver some four-tenths of a second faster than Fulbrook.
Fulbrook – his Warranty Direct Bora back to full health after its problems at Snetterton a fortnight ago – was second quickest ahead of Steve Chaplin’s Beetle RSI and the Scirocco GT of Mike Kurton. Returning 2007 champion Gilham, who made an 11th hour decision to race at Donington, was fifth, just ahead of Derby driver Peter Felix.
As the cars lined up on the grid for round nine, Chaplin was a notable absentee due to a major clutch problem. Steve Walker was another to hit troubles before the race began, pitting after the formation lap in his Mk IV Golf.
Dziurzynski made a fair getaway, as did Fulbrook, but sole row two starter Kurton made the best launch of all and he tried to challenge for the lead around the outside heading to Redgate. Fulbrook emerged at the front though as Kurton was forced slightly wide on the exit, resulting in him slipping down the top six.
Into lap two Dziurzynski went to the outside of Fulbrook at Redgate but, as the pair ran side by side through Hollywood, the Golf retook the lead after a show of great commitment. Behind the leaders, Gilham looked good in third ahead of the impressive Aaron Mason, up from ninth on the grid.
Mason’s tremendous early-race charge continued apace and by the end of lap three he was ahead of Gilham while Dziurzynski began to open up an increasing gap at the front. Lap four saw two retirements, one the overheating Caddy Sportline of Peter Wyhinny and the other Andrew Smith’s troublesome Beetle TDI.
As the leader continued to press home his advantage, Fulbrook started to fall into the clutches of third-placed Mason who, at the start of lap five, was a mere four-tenths behind. The same was true for Gilham, who found himself under serious pressure from Felix.
At mid distance Fulbrook managed to edge away from his pursuers as Mason had to keep more of an eye on his mirrors with Gilham and Felix pressing on. James Walker then became the third visitor of the race to the pits with a problem linked to the mapping on the engine of his Golf GTI. He rejoined to finish a lap down in 13th position.
By lap eight, Dziurzynski’s lead was up to four seconds as Fulbrook, Mason, Gilham and Felix continued to run almost bumper-to-bumper. At Redgate on lap nine, Felix made a bold attempt to pass Gilham with a late braking move but it wasn’t quite enough to unsettle the former champion as he held on to fourth at the wheel of his Golf.
While Dziurzynski looked home and dry, even with enough time on the clock for another six laps or so, his brother Alex quietly went about his business and by lap nine he was in seventh place, having started 15th. Lapping quicker and quicker in his Corrado GTI, Alex managed to close down a gap of 3.4 seconds to the top six on lap 12 to just over two seconds by the start of lap 13 as he continued his impressive charge through the order.
With Didge Dziurzynski comfortably cruising to his third win of the campaign and Fulbrook more than happy to settle for second place, the battle for the final rostrum spot went the way of Gilham ahead of Mason, fourth still a great result for the latter from ninth on the grid.
On the last lap at Goddards, Felix made sure of fifth after making his way past Kurton, who ended up slipping to seventh at the chicane behind Alex Dziurzynski. Kieran Griffin’s Scirocco was eighth, Anna Walewska’s Golf ninth and returnee Giles Lock rounded out the top 10 in his Beetle.
Round 10 saw some drivers gambling on wet tyres due to ever-blackening skies. Although it rained midway through the race, it was never enough to make the bet a worthwhile one. The grid order for the second race was, as always, taken from the finishing order of the first outing albeit with the top six reversed, Alex Dziurzynski starting on pole ahead of Felix, Mason and Gilham.
Felix made a very good start from the outside of the front row, cutting across Dziurzynski to hold the lead at Redgate as the pole-man dropped to fifth place. Into lap two, the order was Felix from Mason, Fulbrook and Gilham with Alex Dziurzynski having fallen behind brother Didge into sixth.
At Coppice, Fulbrook passed Mason for second and then, into Goddards, Didge Dziurzynski managed to move past Gilham for fourth. Fulbrook then grabbed the lead from Felix on the third tour and that marked the start of the latter’s fall out of contention.
By the end of lap four, Felix was down to sixth as Fulbrook just managed to keep Didge Dziurzynski and Gilham at bay at the front with less than a second covering the top three. However, on lap five Dziurzynski took the lead on the inside at Redgate after a good exit from Goddards.
No sooner had Dziurzynski taken the lead than he set about opening up an unassailable advantage at the front which increased to more than eight seconds by the start of lap 12. Fulbrook, meanwhile, had been under serious pressure from Gilham as the last two champions produced some great racing, Gilham getting the better of the battle to take second on the 11th tour.
Rain started to fall on lap 12 but nothing changed at the front with Didge Dziurzynski taking his second win of the weekend, and fourth of the campaign, ahead of Gilham and Fulbrook. Fourth place went to Mason with Alex Dziurzynski fifth and Lock sixth.
Of the drivers who chose to gamble on treaded tyres, Kieran Griffin was the best placed in eighth, almost half a minute behind the impressive Anna Walewska, who raced very well indeed to seventh spot to cap off a good weekend. Wyhinny’s ever-popular Caddy van had a recurrence of its race one problems while Smith’s Beetle also failed to finish once again.
Commenting on the weekend, Fulbrook said: ‘The car is absolutely 100 per cent again now and we’ve had two good races. I just kept things sensible. Luckily Tony (Gilham) isn’t a championship contender and I knew he wouldn’t do anything stupid. I wasn’t going to catch Didge in the first race so I chose to look after the tyres and bring it home.’
Championship returnee Gilham, who may yet contest more events this year if they don’t clash with his other racing commitments in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, commented: ‘I always like to have a go in the Volkswagen Racing Cup if I can and it just so happened it worked out there was a car available I could have a run in this weekend. The championship is good, I really enjoy it and it’s always a good laugh.
‘I went out there with the intention to keep it clean and have two good races, which we did. It’s not my championship to get involved in this year so I kept things sensible. The first time I sat in the car was for qualifying so to be on the podium in both races first time back is a great result.’
The Volkswagen Racing Cup in association with Hankook is additionally supported by Augustus Martin, Ceva Logistics, ECM Vehicle Delivery, Milltek Sport, Mondial Assistance, KW Automotive, Superchips, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Volkswagen Financial Services UK.”
Looking for more? Have a look below.
- Volkswagen Racing Cup: Golf victories at Snetterton for Dziurzynski and Walker
- Volkswagen Racing Cup: Didge Dziurzynski to debut new Golf at Rockingham
- Volkswagen Racing Cup: Wins for Taylor and Dziurzynski at Oulton Park season opener
- Volkswagen Racing Cup: Fulbrook claims title, Kurton and Dziurzynski the race wins
- Volkswagen Racing Cup: Double top for Fulbrook at Snetterton
