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With less than two months to go until the
2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) kicks-off, Vauxhall
completed an intense five-day test programme at Almeria today.
Tom Onslow-Cole, VX Racing’s
recently-signed third driver, got his first taste of the front-wheel drive
Vauxhall Vectra at the Spanish circuit. Taking advantage of the mild weather,
Onslow-Cole was able to gain good knowledge about his new racing car. His
team-mates, reigning 2007 BTCC Champion Fabrizio Giovanardi and
ex-double
BTCC Champion, Matt Neal were also on-hand to provide constructive assistance.
“It was a completely new experience for
me to drive the Vectra for the first time and it took me most of the first day
to get comfortable with the car,” said the
20-year-old. “The car is a
totally different animal to what I am used to, but a lot of fun to drive.
“Fabrizio and Matt have been really great
and have not only given me tips on the car itself but also told me a lot about
touring cars in general. I really enjoyed the last five days and I can’t wait to
race the Vectra this season.”
The shake-down was closely followed by VX
Racing’s Team Principal, Ian Harrison, who has high hopes for the talented
youngster.
“Tom was testing the Vauxhall Vectra on
all five days and it went absolutely fine, but he obviously has to learn more
about the car before the season starts. He showed good progress from day-to-day
and we completed the programme successfully.
“Fabrizio and Matt also took to the track
each day to run through their commitments and the week went as smoothly as it
usually does when you go testing.”
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