VXR chief urges caution

Ian Harrison, team principal of Vauxhall’s VX Racing squad, has urged caution among his ranks despite their winning start to this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Harrison said a strong showing in the opening rounds did not necessarily equate to title success further down the line.

Currently his Banbury-based Triple Eight Engineering concern which runs VXR’s BTCC programme is putting the finishing touches to its pair of Vauxhall Vectras ahead of this weekend’s rounds at Croft in North Yorkshire.

“We can’t say we are not doing well because we are good at the moment, but we mustn’t get ahead of ourselves,” said Harrison. “It’s only the third race weekend gone and a lot can change and happen; it’s still a long season to go.

“We are heading to Croft aiming to keep finishing in the points, staying out of trouble and continuing the car’s reliability, and then we will see how it turns out.”

Harrison has so far seen his Italian driver Fabrizio Giovanardi achieve four wins in the last six races in Vauxhall’s new Vectra to lie second in the standings, just nine points behind SEAT’s Jason Plato.

Giovanardi’s team-mate Tom Chilton is third overall thanks to plenty of podium finishes, while Vauxhall and VXR respecyively lead the BTCC’s high-profile Manufacturers’ and Teams’ championships as well.

It was with Triple Eight that Vauxhall enjoyed straight Drivers’, Manufacturers’ and Teams’ titles in the BTCC from 2001-04 plus a fifth crown for makes in 2005.