Some very encouraging signs were there this weekend, but Tom didn’t get the results he was hoping for in the latest rounds of the Championship, with 5th and 6th place finishes for VXR Racing

The Vauxhall team were more confident at Donington with further revisions to the Astra Sport Hatch’s set up producing competitive lap times in free practice.

Tom was the quickest of the VXRacing drivers in qualifying, getting the most out of his final run on new tyres to end up 3rd on the grid.

At the start of the first race Tom got off the line well and on the run down to the first corner at Redgate tried to capitalise on his better momentum to go around the outside of Colin Turkington’s MG. It was a risky move and unfortunately he just failed to pull it off. Forced wide onto the dirt on the exit, Tom had to scrabble back onto the track and having lost all his speed, settled into 4th place behind his Vauxhall teammate, Fabrizio Giovanardi.

“ It was probably the wrong thing to do”, Tom reflected after the race, “ but I got such a good start and really got a run on Colin so at the time I thought I could get around him before the apex. With hindsight that was too optimistic and let Fabrizio through. Over the early laps he was holding me up a little, but I couldn’t get past him. “

The first eight laps produced some excellent and close racing with the top five cars separated by less than a second. Tom had to defend his place from reigning champion Matt Neal who was trying everything to get past the Astra. Lap nine saw Tom and Matt running side by side down the high speed Craner Curves with Tom just hanging onto his advantage.

Matt’s pressure paid off on lap 11 when he dived down the inside at the Chicane and was past.

“ I couldn’t keep Matt behind any longer. He had better grip than me through Coppice onto the straight and was better on the brakes. The Astra was good, better than in the races earlier this year, but I still had a lot of understeer in the middle of the race. By the end though the balance came back and the car was quick. Matt wasn’t getting away from me and we were closing the gap to the leaders, but it was too late to challenge them. “

So Tom took 5th place at the chequered flag and with Fabrizio finishing 3rd and Gavin Smith 6th, things were indeed looking better for the VXRacing team.

With their three cars starting the second race in the top six, could this produce the long awaited 100th win for Vauxhall? Tom certainly hoped so and as the lights went out he got a blinding start. He was past Neal and Giovanardi by the first corner and as the pack streamed down the Craner Curves pulled alongside Turkington in a move for 2nd place. The pair made contact and in a split second Tom’s race was over. The impact had broken his nearside steering arm and the Astra speared off into the gravel at the Old Hairpin.

“ I’m gutted. It wasn’t really anyone’s fault, just a racing incident. It is such high speed going down the Craners, just the slightest touch is damaging and I couldn’t do anything once the steering was broken.”

Vauxhall managed a 3rd and 5th with Gavin Smith and Fabrizio, but the centenary celebrations would have to wait. It was unlikely to be achieved by Tom in the final race, as he would now have to start from the back of the grid.

No sooner had the third race got underway it was red flagged following a start line pile up which eliminated several cars on the spot and which Tom was fortunate to avoid.

The restart was fraught too, but Tom got round the first lap unscathed and in 10th place. On lap 2 he gained another place to be 9th as the safety car was deployed. Since the start of the race dark clouds had been gathering overhead and now the threatened rain came down. The initial shower got heavier and as the race got underway again the track was soaking. Everybody resisted the temptation to pit for rain tyres, hoping it would just be a brief shower, but a lot of drivers were caught out. The rain did ease off and the track dried a little and as a result of several retirements, Tom was now 6th. He held onto that position despite the best efforts of Matt Neal to pass him on the final lap, Tom beating the Champion across the line by inches.

“ That was a really hard race, so much going on. My only aim was to finish and so I was taking it fairly easy in the rain and just avoiding all the carnage.”

Vauxhall again had all it’s cars finish in the top six, Giovanardi unfortunately losing the lead and what should have been the 100th win at the final corner.

Tom was still upbeat after a tough weekend;

“ It’s been a strange one today. Disappointing in many ways, but we’ve got a lot to be pleased with too. The Astras performance has definitely been stronger here and I think it will get even better. The pace is good now, race pace as well as qualifying and I’m really looking forward to Snetterton. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to get that 100th win for Vauxhall. “

The next rounds at Snetterton will take place in two weeks time on 13th August and Tom’s confidence for a good result there is well placed. Last season he had a memorable weekend, with pole position and two race wins.