VAG TROPHY 2015 RACE REPORTS
Silverstone
13/14th June
Maximum Group.Net VAG Trophy hosted its first triple-header meet of the season,
and in typical Silverstone style, competitors were greeted with a wet day!
With the rain falling, tyre choice was easy!, whilst setup found the team adjusting some of the off season suspension upgrades for the first time to allow for the wet conditions.
There was a sense of trepidation in the air as the cars lined up under the heavy grey skies for the wet qualifying.
After a couple of laps, Chris felt confident with the setup, and put the ISN Golf GTI second in class, just behind the Class leader, but as rain began to fall even harder, there was no room to improvement, many competitors came in.
Race 1
With car lights and wipers on, race one greeted competitors to a track peppered with standing water.
A strong start saw Chris running first in Class B, up amongst some Class A cars. With spray being kicked up, visibility was not great, but Chris began to open up a gap behind. It wasn’t long before the conditions started to take their toll, several drivers battled with condensation, but that was not the only problem. After initially running strong, the Golf went down on power, spluttering occasionally, which exaggerated as rain fell harder. After leading for 5 laps, Chris relinquished the lead and nursed the car home for second in class. Investigations in the paddock found the cold air filter absolutely sodden, just like the mechanics. Water had actually been ingested right up to the MAF sensor - Lesson learnt!
On Sunday, the teams were greeted to a dry day, the paddock somewhat resembling a laundry, with wet clothing drying in the breeze. With the new 3 race format, came a new twist in race 2: Both class A and B cars were treated to a reverse grid. The top 10 from both classes in Race 1 would swap around.
Race 2
With the air filter having been 'baked dry' on a radiator overnight, and the suspension adjusted for dry conditions, the adjusted start position was taken up. A great start saw Chris narrowly miss a stalled car, but things were about to get even closer.
Out braking a car into Maggots, he was confronted with a revolving car, choices were limited! Diving right, the spinning car ended its pirouette and clipped the rear wheel and bumper of our car. Luckily the car received nothing more than cosmetic damage, whilst others fared far worse, and the yellow flags were waved to recover the damaged cars. The restart saw Chris battle with the Class B leader, and with fading tyres, he managed to keep hold of second place.
Race 3
Late in the day, the clouds rolled over and the sky darkened once again – would it rain?
Another strong start, saw Chris make up places, but was immediately hounded by following cars. With tyres well past their best, Chris battled, but could only manage to hang on to third. This race, more than any other, has highlighted a weakness in the car we aim to resolve as soon as possible.
A very solid weekend; three races, three podiums and two valuable lessons!
Brands Hatch
16th May
After a hiatus of two months, the 2nd round of the Maximum Group.Net VAG Trophy was eagerly welcomed by all the drivers and teams at a sunny Brands Hatch.
The Race meeting which incorporated a qualifying round and two races all in one day was to be a busy and exciting experience for all involved.
An impressive qualifying session saw Chris alternate between 1st and 2nd in class before a safety car broke the rhythm of all the drivers with a lengthy stay on the track. Only three clear laps were to be seen after the exit of the SC and the ISN sponsored driver managed to make two of those his quickest attempts resulting in 2nd in class.
Race One started well with Chris managing to go from 15th overall to 11th passing some class A cars in the process and keeping the class B pole sitter in his sight. The introduction of the safety car broke the excitement and a slow 4 laps were to follow. The late extinguishing of the safety car lights as it entered the last corner caught a number of drivers out and the ensuing rush to catch up with the leading pack on cold tyre cost Chris dearly.
On entering Paddock Hill the back of the golf lost traction and started to swing to the left. This was caught just in time but unfortunately the front left tyre caught the rumble strip and came off the wheel, forcing the car into the gravel and a frustrating exit from the race.
Fortunately the car was not badly damaged but a late return to the pits and the compressed racing schedule meant that a hectic time was had by all in preparing the car for the second race. Wheels, tyres and brake callipers were stripped, cleaned and refitted in order to clear as much gravel as possible.
Race Two started with Chris near the back of the grid alongside a handful of other unfortunate drivers who had also visited the gravel traps at various points of the circuit in the previous race.
A tough battle was had with the class B drivers vying for the podium positions. Chris found himself stuck behind a resolute Mk 3 Golf which was defending excellently. Eventually success was had in passing him at Clearways and the race was on to gain 3rd spot. Chris managed to close the gap on third place to a few metres but unfortunately the time spent gaining 4th place had compromised his attempt and he ran out of laps to gain any further positions. Although disappointment in the end result a great race was had and good race experience was gained.
Snetterton
24th March
Snetterton 300 Circuit hosted the opening two rounds of the MaximumGroup.net V.A.G Trophy Championship on 28th March 2015. This circuit brings positive memories for Chris, after achieving podium positions in the previous two seasons.
The new format of the meeting meant that qualifying and both races were to be held on one day, unlike previous years when it was spread over the weekend. This created a rather busy morning preparing the car, which due to financial constraints, had not moved more than a few hundred metres since the last race of the 2014 season. This was unfortunate situation as the car had been partially rebuilt due to a collision at Oulton Park and the lack of testing would ultimately have an impact in qualifying.
The weather for qualifying was wet and very windy which caused the drivers to choose varying tyre strategies. The decision of tyres was seen to be least of worries for Chris as during the session the car appeared to have a lack of power, resulting in a position on the back row of the grid of 18 cars.
Between qualifying and the first race the problem with the lack of power was found to be a wiring issue with the air flow sensor on the intercooler. This was rectified but could only be proven to have been the issue under race conditions therefore fingers were crossed for Race 1.
Weather conditions were changeable but improved for the first race of 2015. A good start helped the CMR driver move forward 6 places by the end of the first lap. The remaining laps involved successfully fighting for 3rd place in Class B and 11th overall for the first podium of the season.
The VAG drivers were fortunate with the weather as heavy showers littered the day but bright sunshine welcomed them for Race 2. With the ISN Golf GTi starting in 11th position Chris fought throughout the race to complete a double podium position, with another 3rd in class.
Rounds 3 & 4 will take place at Brands Hatch on May 16th whilst April will be spent modifying and improving the car to enable the CMR team to continue chasing the larger teams to that elusive top podium spot.
Thank you very much to Kingswood Tyres, Intuitive Systems and Networks Ltd and JW Signs for your support and making this possible, it is greatly appreciated.
Supplier of mini dv cameras
Snetterton
25/6th July
The midway point of the racing season saw Basingstoke racing driver Chris Mohan and his ISN VW Golf Mk 4 GTi return to the Snetterton 300 circuit for rounds 8, 9 and 10 of the MaximumGroup.Net VAG Trophy.
Qualifying saw the field use their allocated wet tyres for the second time this season as the incessant rain from the previous day did not cease until well after all of the morning qualifying sessions. Familiarity with the circuit and growing confidence in the car saw Chris come in a credible 12th out of 22 drivers, 2nd in class B and ahead of a handful of class A cars.
With conditions changing dramatically and a dry circuit for Race 1 the Golf GTi was soon under attack by the Class A cars which had qualified behind him on the grid. Second in class was held until late in the race but a comfortable 3rd was happily accepted, considering the dramatic crash on lap 4, which saw a VW Passat CC catapult off the circuit after clipping a spinning Scirocco and turning over a number of times. Fortunately both drivers although shaken, suffered no serious injury.
Sunday’s weather was seen to be the polar opposite of the previous day with Race 2 in the morning being run in dry but overcast weather. With this being a reverse grid the Golf Mk4 Gti started in row 10. Unfortunately once the red lights went out a mid-grid car had a gearbox failure and the ensuing chaos saw one car in the barriers and another stranded half way down the straight. The race was red flagged immediately and all the remaining cars lined up on their return to be placed back into their original grid positions.
As Chris approached his grid position the car was surrounded by the marshalls and the race scrutineer. Although the car looked fine from the pit wall the passenger side door was badly crushed and could not be opened and there was also a suspicion of suspension damage. The car was retired from the race due to safety concerns and valuable potential race points were lost, On closer inspection it was found that, although the damage was significant, the suspension and steering were unaffected and that the “technical” use of a large hammer resolved the cosmetic looks of the car albeit slightly. Most importantly the door was released and the car made race ready.
The weather had deteriorated once again to constant rain and had made an awkward repair a bit more uncomfortable that it needed to be.
Race 3 saw a return to wet tyres as the British Summer lived up to its reputation. The previous DNF had the ISN sponsored Golf on row 9 of the grid. An inspired effort in tricky conditions resulted in an impressive 2nd in class and a return to 12th overall.
A great team effort and many thanks to the team, family and friends who withstood the terrible conditions to assist and support Team CMR during a tough weekend.
CMR are excited to have a new sponsor!
Yet again - Thanks to all!
Castle Combe
08th August
After a short two weeks break from the last race meeting, Basingstoke racer Chris Mohan and his VW Golf Mk4 GTI arrived at Castle Combe to compete in round 11 & 12 of the Maximumgroup.net VAG Trophy.
The race day was blessed with a festival atmosphere and the best weather of the summer which made tyre choice more straightforward than previous race meetings.
Qualification and familiarity of the circuit was cut short after 6 laps due to a class A car locking its brakes and having a hard impact with the tyre wall at the fast but tricky final bend of Camp Corner. An overall 12th and 2nd in class was the outcome of the shortened session.
Race 1
Chris made a good start and moved up to 9th before dropping two places in the following few laps. By lap 5 he had regained 10th position before another victim of Camp Corner brought the safety car out.
The regrouping of the cars did not help and he finished in 11th position but a good 2nd in class was his reward.
Race 2
The second race was hard fought for Chris, as on the first lap he had to take to the grass at the The Esses as he thought better of joining the other two cars in the chicane.
On re-joining the circuit the avoidance of another car resulted in being at the back of the field in 16th and well out of any podium position.
A quick response was required and a good overtaking move prior to Camp Corner on the first lap moved him up one place. The next few laps saw close racing as the fast circuit offered few opportunities but on lap 4 Chris managed to gain another position at Tower.
On lap 6 he managed to gain two positions in the stretch between Tower and the chicane of Bobbies to give a credible 11th overall and 3rd in class.
Chris would like to thank his sponsors, ISN, The Plastic People, Kingswood Tyres, Webbex and JW Signs.
A special mention to local company X-Sports for carrying out development work on the Mk 4 Golf GTi
Donington
19/20th September
Ideal weather welcomed the Maximumgroup.net VAG Trophy and Basingstoke racing driver Chris Mohan to the Donington Park GP circuit in Derbyshire.
The meeting was 2 two day event with Saturday incorporating Qualifying and Race 1 sessions, with Sunday holding Race 2 and 3.
Qualifying was a busy affair with the safety car having to be deployed midway through proceedings which lost the drivers 3 laps. The outcome was Second in Class B was gained In Race 1 a good start saw the Basingstoke driver gain two places by the 1st lap and another two by the second. The third lap saw another place gained and this positon was held for the following three laps until the red flag was shown on lap 6. A total gain of 5 places and 2nd in Class was Mohan’s reward for an assertive drive. This result was shown to be even better than originally thought as there were 10 DNFs in the large contingent of 33 cars. The successful avoidance of one incident in particular showed that experience is being gained by the ISN sponsored driver.
The outcome of Race 1 resulted in Mohan and the Mk 4 Golf gaining a number of grid positions and starting in the middle of the pack in Race 2. This race was spent gaining and losing positions in alternate laps with the end result being a 3rd in class.
Race 3 was a reverse grid which meant that Mohan had to start at the back of the grid. This race got off to a bad start with an incident involving 3 cars on the first lap and the introduction of the safety car. The early appearance of the safety car caused confusion with some drivers being caught out inadvertently overtaking and then falling back into their rightful position. The middle of the pack was held up badly by some drivers who weren’t too sure what their positon should be resulting in these cars crawling around the track unsure whether to pass or not and losing pace with the rest of the field. On resumption of the race Mohan found himself battling for position behind a slower but very experienced driver. Although frustrating the Mk4 Golf driver enjoyed the battle but had to settle for 5th place.
Mohan’s final tally was a 3nd, 2nd and 5th respectively, consolidating his 3rd place in the championship. With 6 points separating 2nd and 3rd, the challenge to better last season’s position continues in the last meeting of the season at Oulton Park in October.
Oulton Park International
24th October
Six tracks and fifteen races in to the Maximumgroup.net 2015 VAG Trophy and we find ourselves at the final meet of the season at the superb Oulton Park International circuit
In the first half of the season, Chris had held onto 2nd position (in Class B) but at Snetteron back in July, he dropped back into 3rd after being asked not to race for safety reasons. From that point on he had not managed to regain 2nd position, and was stuck a frustrating 8 points behind Barrie Culley.
Whilst a seven hour journey to the circuit on the Friday may have given our sponsors some ‘motorway advertisement’ along the way, it wasn’t exactly the best of starts for the team, as the planned preparation had to be postponed until the morning of the race.
Although Saturday morning started off dry, the forecast for rain was spot on, and it began to fall early enough to allow the teams to decide upon, and make their setups.
Qualifying
The rain had ceased as the cars assembled for the qualifying session, but no sooner had they gone out onto track, the heavens opened and conditions deteriorated rapidly. (We’d like to have shown you how wet it was via race video, but both cameras completely shut down up due to the soaking they got!)
Chris was soon piloting the ISN Golf around the puddled dotted black ribbon of track, finding the best grip and lines whilst making space for some unhindered laps. It was soon evident he was ‘on a mission’ at his favourite track!
Others up and down the pits pointed at the time sheets, and the team had to ‘triple’ check the times, as Chris not only gained pole position in Class B (with 10 seconds from his nearest challenger!), but also put himself a solid 12th out of 27, ahead of 10 faster Class A cars.
This was without doubt ‘THE’ performance of the weekend, and other drivers came along to congratulate and acknowledge the fact.
Race One was held in slightly better weather conditions, but there was still plenty of spray to obscure the view. With an improving track, the Class A cars behind, used their power advantage to force their way through the pack and Chris dropped a place on the second lap. Choosing when to defend and where to let the faster cars by, Chris controlled the lead to the chasing Class B cars, and opened up a 20 second lead.
Laps three & four saw this process repeat, another two Class A cars passed, but by now, the lead to his challengers opened up to 36 seconds.
Come mid-race, a gap of 64 seconds separated Chris from his challengers, and then the ISN Golf started to make headway into the Class A cars ahead. Two places were gained on lap seven and another two on lap eight. Chris spent the last lap battling with a Class A, VW Scirocco, which used it superior power to outpace him on the run-down to the chequered flag.
Chis put in a great performance whilst under pressure, showing skill, determination and a cool head; All rewarded with his very first race win of the season, fastest lap in Class B, and a very proud team!
Race Two and the track was still wet, but no rain fell as the strong winds bundled the ominous looking clouds across the sky. As the cars came round from their initiation lap, the pitlane siren wailed as a solitary car entered the pit lane,... a misfire?
As the field set off on the warmup lap, a frantic burst of rattle-guns focused everyone’s attention back onto the solitary car in the pit lane.
There, sat Chris’s main rival in the championship (Barrie Culley), as team members hurriedly replaced his wet tyres with dry groved ones! As we watched the work proceed, the warmup lap seemed to take an eternity, and when the cars finally lined up in their grid positions, Barrie pulled up to the pit lane exit ready to race. This was a brave choice, but was it to be an inspired one?
For the first lap, Chris held position and doggedly defended the swarming Class A cars behind; knowing if he got punted off, second in the championship could be waved goodbye. Lap 2, and Chris was out powered by a seriously quick Scirroco, but the gap to the Class B pack was opening up… Back in the pits, seeing blue sky & sun breaking through the clouds, the team started to rain dance!
Chris seemed to have the race under control as the gap back to the chasing ‘B pack’ opened up to seventeen seconds, but an incident soon brought out the safety car, which in turn changed into a red flag, allowing the marshals to remove the dangerously positioned car.
As the delay continued, the wind blew and the sun punched holes in the clouds…. The track could only be drying and our nerves were fraying!
Eventually, with everyone bunched back together on the grid, the race restarted.
A solid get away saw Chris hold position until the braking zone into the first corner, when another Scirocco slid past. Upon exiting the corner, all hell was broke loose directly ahead, but Chris managed to avoid the carnage, whilst others weren’t so lucky. Multiple cars tangled and one flipped nose first onto its roof. (Thankfully no one was hurt)
Needless to say, the red flags came out, but this time, the race was stopped for good.
This disappointing end to a race meant Chris was awarded with his second win of the day, but not in a way he wanted.
It was not the best way to end the season, and although we think Chis had the measure of Barrie, unfortunately we’ll never know.
At the end of season presentation that very same night, Chis was awarded with two race wins and second in Class B of the Maximumgroup.net VAG Trophy championship. A fantastic achievement for a very new and small team, punching well above their weight!
We would just like to say a Massive Thank You:
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To all to our sponsors this season, we hope we did you proud, and would love to have you on board for next season.
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To all organisers and helpers of the Maximumgroup.net VAG Trophy, you’ve done a fantastic job this year, it’s been brilliant!
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To all friends and family members, your support this year has been epic….
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To all the marshals for your hard work, without you, there would be no racing..