Vauxhall comes back to motorsport after a four year absence
Vauxhall is returning to prove its motorsport credentials four years after it withdrew from the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) as it tackles the Motor Sports Association (MSA) Hillclimb Leaders Championship.
The British manufacturer has entered a standard Astra VXR into the 2013 competition, with motoring journalists David Finlay and Alisdair Suttie behind the wheel.
The pair are not performing too badly either, currently standing in joint seventh out of a 34-strong field of racers.
Despite being just an ordinary Astra VXR, it has managed to go toe-to-toe with the best, finishing ahead of a Porsche 911 at Harewood, setting a class record in the process. The Scottish journalist duo want to prove that the car can "win on Sunday and commute on Monday".
The pair are even driving the car itself to all of the races, clocking up 2,500 miles in the last month going between Scotland and England.
"We wanted to prove that motorsport doesn't have to cost a fortune, if you choose the right car and the right championship," said Mr Finlay.
"Apart from the timing strut and stickers, our press Astra VXR is as it came off the line, and that means it's tractable, durable and a perfect companion for some of the long journeys from Scotland to the southern-English tracks."
Posted by Craig Salter