VX Racing drivers hoping for cooler Croft

VX Racing head to Croft this weekend hoping for cooler temperatures as they aim to get back onto winning form. Oulton Park last time out saw the front-wheel drive Vectra struggling with tyre degradation as the track temperatures soared. However championship leader Matt Neal, reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi and youngster Andrew Jordan are all hoping for a return to form at the Croft circuit near Darlington.

“We are heading to Croft with fresh minds,” said Neal who is only 2 points clear of rival racer Colin Turkington. “We will see what pace we can draw out of the Vauxhall, but we expect three very hard races. I love Croft, it has a good mixture of everything, It has some big commitment, high speed corners, as well as long straights and slow corners in the mix. The atmosphere there is great, the North Eastern crowds are brilliant, and they really get stuck in with the cheering and the booing.

“We are carrying more weight than Colin (Turkington) in this next race, the small two points gap we have are worth nine kilos. But then you have to look at it that come the end of the season, the points gap could be the difference between winning and losing the championship, so I’m happy to carry it.”

Giovanardi admits that he would like some rain to hit the Croft circuit, as it did last year when soaking wet conditions affected the race weekend. “If it is as hot as it was at Oulton Park, we will face similarly difficult conditions,” he said. “I would prefer it to be cooler, although rain might favour us. That is one factor that is outside of our control, but could play a big part in our fortunes over the weekend. The rear wheel drive cars will undoubtedly be more suited to this track than the Vauxhall, but as a team we have the experience and determination to give them a run for their money.”

Jordan admits that he has been looking back on last year  in preparation for this weekend’s races. “To prepare for a race weekend I usually watch last year’s coverage to reacquaint myself with the track and I’ll also work on my fitness. We saw in the heat at Oulton how a driver needs to be race fit, Sunday is a long day and we need to be as prepared as we can be.

“I like Croft, it’s a high speed circuit and you need guts for some parts of the track which makes it a good challenge for a driver. Again, I think the BMWs and the Chevrolets will prove strong round there, but we will work on it and we will be there or thereabouts come race day.”