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Press Releases by Claire Tippet
May 22, 2005
Claire
Tippet: Shines in the Rain at Knockhill
Cheltenham - Racing driver, Claire Tippet battled
the elements as well as her rivals on the Knockhill circuit
at this weekend's third round of the VW Racing Cup.
Driving her ATMR prepared Golf GTi MkI, this was Claire's
first time racing at the compact Scottish circuit and so she
was pleased to take the opportunity to test on Friday before
Saturday morning's qualifying session.
Saturday's qualifying session was one of the few over the
weekend to see sunny and dry conditions which gave Claire
further time to familiarise her self with the circuit. "It
is a very small and tight track" said Claire "which
means the cars are going to be very bunched together and with
a full grid in VW Racing which is close racing at the best
of times, well it's all pointing to a very exciting race!"
Claire's prediction was certainly going to be proved right.
Starting at 5.30pm on Saturday the first race was sadly a
short one for Claire. "Because of the smallness of the
circuit, I was on a part of the grid which because of a slight
bend and brow means I didn't have a great sight of the starting
lights and took the front cars as my cue. I made a very good
start but it is extremely cramped and funnels the cars together.
I stayed on the outside and we think I had a slight tap from
behind which sent me wide and into the gravel and I was stuck."
However, the disappointment of a non-finish in Race One didn't
dampen Claire's resolve for Sunday's Race Two though the weather
was trying. With grid positions for Race Two determined from
Race One finishing position, Claire was well back in 26th
position on the grid as the rain tumbled down.
Claire made another good start and by the end of lap one
had made up an amazing eight places to 18th. "It was
very cloudy and wet and I was able to work my way up to a
large group of cars and as I got passed them I found myself
in a space on my own for while. A couple of cars also managed
to break from that group and we found ourselves having a really
tough battle going three abreast into the hairpin at one point
which was exciting! The wet conditions were challenging but
I worked hard and was really pleased with the end result."
Claire finished in 14th position having made up twelve positions
in the 18 lap race which saw only one non-finisher so it was
particularly gratifying to have got passed a dozen running
cars one way or the other and to finish on the same lap as
the leaders as those behind her didn't.
Claire's next VW Racing Cup event will be at Castle Combe,
Wiltshire on June 25-26th when it will once more be supporting
the prestigious British GT and F3 series.
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