GULFAIR GOLF FACES HIGH-SPEED TEST AT THRUXTON

Team GulfAir faces one of its toughest tests of the season next Sunday (17 Aug) when the squad's Volkswagen Golf GTI tackles the British GT Championship's fastest race of the year.

Venue for the race is the 2.4-mile Thruxton circuit in Hampshire which, thanks to its super-fast sweeping corners, is one of the toughest tests of man, machine... and tyres.

It's a daunting prospect for GulfAir drivers Stuart Scott (Sandy) and Steve Wood (Ruislip), but one they are relishing.

"We're looking forward to Thruxton," said Steve, "because it should give us a good chance to show what the Golf is really capable of. We quickly identified the problem with the car's new gearbox which hampered our progress at Rockingham, and we're quite confident of a good result.

"A lot of our rivals will not only have to change drivers in their pit-stops at Thruxton but also their tyres, but the Golf is very light on its tyres and we're hopeful we can do the race on one set. That should save us some time in the pits.

"The Golf also has a lot of straightline speed, and Thruxton is a track which rewards cars with that sort of ability."

Championship tyre supplier Dunlop has developed special slicks for the race which, at 75 minutes, is believed to be the longest GT event ever attempted at the circuit.

Scott, Wood and their ART-prepared turbocharged Golf, which is backed by GulfAir and Cambridge Business Travel, will be contesting the GTC class of the British GT Championship. The 75-minute race is scheduled for 1515 on Sunday.

August 8th 2003