Another copybook performance from James Dowding at this weekend’s final meeting of the SuperPro VAG Trophy championship at Snetterton, saw the 21-year old from Bristol score another double-victory, winning Class B in both the weekend’s races, to secure the 2013 title. This result brings Dowding’s tally of class wins to eight from the season’s 12 rounds and means that he also becomes Class B and Mk4 TDI/GTI Challenge Champion.
Outright winner of both races was Aaron Mason driving his VW Scirocco R. Whilst he crossed the line first on each occasion, his rare appearance in the SuperPro VAG Trophy meant he was ineligible to score points. Therefore, Golf Mk5 driver and three-time winner this season Josh Caygill’s pair of second places and Class A wins saw him collect maximum scores and consequently take the Class A title and finish second overall in the end of season standings.
The final two rounds of 2013 saw the championship’s second appearance at Snetterton this season, the first being a visit in June when it joined the prestigious British GT meeting. Although temperatures were somewhat warmer then, thankfully, the weather in Norfolk for this weekend’s racing turned out to be better than the forecasters had suggested, with only a short shower dampening the track for Saturday’s activity.
Qualifying on Saturday morning saw Mason stamp his authority on proceedings by claiming Pole position for the first race, 1.4secs ahead of Stewart Lines who was second quickest in his Scirroco R. Row two comprised Dave Carvell in his VW Scirocco GT2 and winner of the previous round at Brands Hatch Josh Caygill in his Mk5 Golf. Fastest of the Class B runners was James Bradley-Silverstone in his Seat Leon, who’s qualifying time was good enough to see him start from row five out of 17.
Race 1 (round 11)
With Caygill and Dowding battling for the title, the remaining championship positions still far from decided and with 34 cars on the grid, tension was high before the start of the first race. When the lights went green, the two Scirocco Rs got away well from the front row, but behind them things were about to get chaotic.
On the approach to the first corner Carvell’s tyres lost grip and, as he tried to recover the situation, the VW Vento of Len Simpson clipped the wayward Scirocco before the Mk2 Golf of Steve Rowland ploughed into it. The incident saw the Safety Car and then red flags deployed, bringing the race to a temporary halt.
Once the track was clear, the restart saw Mason and Lines first out of the traps, with Caygill in hot pursuit and overtaking Lines for second place on lap two. With only three more laps left – due to the stoppage time - the first three positions remained the same for the rest of the race: Mason first, Caygill second and Lines third.
Further down the pack, Dowding was doing what he needed to do with another faultless drive in Class B, his target to take a fourth double-victory of the season made easier following Bradley-Silverstone’s non-appearance due to a transmission problem. Relative newcomer to the series Jason Tingle also delivered an impressive performance by finishing second in Class B in his Golf Mk2, whilst Mike Smith claimed third in his Mk4 version.
Race 2 (round 12)
Following an action-packed race one, Sunday’s race two saw some of the cars showing the signs of battle. This time it was Mason and Caygill who lined up on the front row, with Stewart Lines and 2012 SuperPro VAG Trophy Champion Paul Taylor on row two.
With an R32 Golf Mk4 and therefore four-wheel-drive at his disposal, Taylor knows how to make the most of a start and drove around the outside of the Mason and Caygill on the run up to the first corner. But, by the end of the first lap, Caygill had taken back the lead, only to lose it again one lap later.
Then, on lap three, Mason got past Taylor too, who had now started to drop back into the clutches of Joe McMillan in his Seat Leon Cupra R. This left the leading pair to fight it out at the front and, just when it looked like Caygill had done enough to defend his lead for the following four laps, Mason managed to exit the tight left-hander at Murrays and close on Caygill for the race to the line. It was a photo finish, with the final advantage that of Mason’s by just 0.093secs - the very last race of 2013 providing the closest ever finish in the championship’s five-year history.
In Class B Dowding did it again, bringing his first full season to a spectacular conclusion with eight class wins and three titles: SuperPro VAG Trophy Champion, Class B Champion and Mk4 TDI/GTI Challenge Champion. Dowding’s treble-top was made even more impressive by virtue of his car being all-but standard and the running costs for the season - other than fuel and entry fees – amounting only to a set of brake pads and six tyres!
“I can’t believe that I’ve won”, said Dowding at the finish. “This is a great championship and very competitive, so I’m over the moon to have done it and I have to thank everyone who’s helped me along the way. This is my first full season away from Karts, so this is a great way to start my racing career in cars.”
