VX Racing returned to winning form this weekend at Croft, North Yorkshire, in round five of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with a win and a second place finish apiece for Colin Turkington and Yvan Muller. Gavin Smith again had a challenging weekend, but notched up valuable points with an eighth and seventh place in the first and second races, although a broken rear suspension curtailed his progress in the third race.

Saturday's qualifying sessions resulted in Turkington starting the first of the day’s three races from pole position, with Muller behind him in third and Smith in the third VX Racing Astra Sport Hatch in seventh position. In an unusual first race, which was ended under the red flag two laps short of the full 15-lap race distance, Turkington scored his first race victory for VX Racing, and the third of his career.

A jubilant Turkington commented after the race: “I was nervous when the safety car came out as I thought Yvan would make a good restart and take the win, so I was relieved when I saw the red flag! It’s brilliant to take my first win for VX Racing. The car was consistent and I didn’t put it under too much pressure.”

Team mate Muller crossed the line just behind the Ulsterman in second, whilst Smith held onto eighth despite strong challenges in the closing stages from James Kaye.

As the lights went out for race two, Muller once again had a flying start and was up into first position by the exit of the first corner. Turkington kept in touch with his team mate, but struggled slightly with the balance of the car due to the success ballast, but held on to take second. Muller gradually eased out a comfortable lead, and took the flag at the front of the field for VX Racing’s second win of the day. Smith fought hard from eighth on the grid, and only lost out on sixth position after Neal sliced his way past in the closing stages.

Muller commented after the race, “I was very focussed on my start. I knew I had to make a good one to get an advantage over the first three laps. I got into the first corner in the lead and went as quickly as I could to bring out a gap, but at the same time to try and do the best laps I could. After about eight laps I slowed my pace to keep the tyres in shape and not put the car under too much pressure.”

The reverse grid for the final race led to scant reward for VX Racing, with Turkington posting a seventh place finish and VX Racing team mate Muller finishing eighth. The run of bad luck that has blighted Smith’s season continued as a broken rear suspension forced the Irishman to retire after an earlier clash with Kaye.

Muller was quick off the line to take ninth place from Turkington, who lost a further place to Jason Plato. Tense battles resulted as Muller and Turkington attempted to scythe through the field, but neither could find a way past sixth-placed Hines. In a last lap move, however, a bellicose Turkington squeezed past his French team mate to snatch seventh on the last lap after Muller slowed coming into Tower.

Smith was understandably disappointed with his race form, “It has been another terrible weekend for me. We have struggled with the car all weekend, right from the first practice session. Again, I’ll have to put this one behind me and look forward to the next round at Mondello.”

Team principal Ian Harrison was however pleased with the overall progress in performance this weekend, and looks forward to more of the same at Mondello Park next weekend. “It was a big improvement, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do. We went well here, and we didn’t expect to, so when we go to Mondello we’ve got to keep an open mind about it. Some parts of the track are very similar to here, so hopefully we will be able to transfer some elements to the next event.”

VX Racing leaves Croft lying first in the manufacturers’ championship and second in the team championship, with Muller third in the drivers’ championship, Turkington fifth and Smith in tenth place.

The 2005 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is the first year of competition for the VX Racing Astra Sport Hatch. This year VX Racing will be aiming to repeat the triple-title winning success of the past four years and continues its title hunt at the next round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Mondello Park on 24 July.