2016 CHAMPION: PHIL HOUSE

2016 has so far provided nothing but close, thrilling racing with endless surprises thrown in the mix for good measure.

With 3 different winners from the opening 6 rounds, only 6 points separating the top two and one abandoned round to adverse weather conditions you could say that first half of 2016 is a story of its own – so we’ve created a little mid-season review on what we have learned so far.

5 Drivers to watch out for

1) Toby Davis

The youngster from Ledbury is competing in his first ever season in Motorsport with Team-Hard having won the scholarship in 2015. So far Davis has wracked up an impressive 116 points from the opening 6 rounds with Rockingham being his most significant securing an outright win on his first ever weekend racing!

2) Bobby Thompson

Mr. Consistent. Thompson has been the most consistent driver of the season to date – never finishing lower than 7th in the all new PMR Volkswagen Polo WRC. Thompson had 2 podium finishes at Oulton Park but will this consistency hurt when drop scores are brought into play?  

3) Tom Witts

Current Production GTi Champion, the 24-year-old stepped up for the first time this year to join Maximum Motorsport piloting their all new MK7 Golf. With the opening round not going to plan many had written him off a title challenge but a trio of podiums at Oulton Park bounced Witts right back as a potential championship contender.

4) Phil House

One of the longest competitors to support the series. House is well known and loved around the paddock in his Volkswagen Scirocco. Having previously won the championship in 2004 & 2005, House has never been far out of the running to be a contender. So far this season he’s taken 3 wins from the opening 6 rounds and finds himself 2nd on the current leader board.

5) Jack Walker-Tulley

Another long-term support of the series. Walker-Tulley has had a string of good results so far this season but suffered his first DNF at Silverstone last round. Its tight at the top but keep an eye on Walker-Tulley as the season progresses.

5 Important things we have learned so far

1) The MK7 is quick

Maximum Motorsport launched their all new MK7 Golf Gti at Autosport back in January, and no one really knew what to expect, but one thing was clear it was time for another generation change in the vehicles! The MK7 suffered running issues at the opening round, but the team went away and brought to Oulton Park a machine that quite simply – was superb!

2) The Polo’s are constantly being developed

Power Maxed Racing made a bold decision to develop and create 2 Volkswagen Polo WRC spec cars for 2016 – something that has never been done previously in the UK! Stepping into the unknown – yes. Worth it? Yes. With Bobby Thompson currently topping the leaderboard, the Polos are showing their worth.

3) Darelle Wilson loves going sideways

Wilson was renamed ‘Drift King’ at Rockingham earlier in the season. His all white Diesel powered Scirocco is simply a bullet of the line but on a slightly damp track is a lot to handle.

4) Team-Hard has a serious talent for finding upcoming young drivers.

Tony Gilham is a well known and loved man in British motorsport. The man behind Team-Hard is always looking for new, upcoming and talented drivers and this year he has spectacularly succeeded.

5) People simply love Volkswagens!

So far this season we have seen the grids grow from 14 to 21. With 18 drivers currently confirmed for Spa-Francorchamps next weekend, one thing is clear – the series is growing and will continue to grow for many years to come.

All of this is only possible due to the fantastic sponsors, Milltek Sport, MaximumGroup.net, Merlin Excavation, Diamondbrite, ECM, Racingline Performance Parts, Rock Oil, Hankook, Kraftwerk and Luke Sport.

The 2016 Milltek Sport Volkswagen Racing Cup head to Spa-Francorchamps for rounds 8 & 9 of the championship next weekend (08th & 09th July 2016).