VW Cup: Coggan Controls Croft Field for Second 2019 Win

DW Racing’s Josh Coggan took his second Volkswagen Racing Cup victory of the year, at a scorching Croft circuit. The Nottinghamshire driver would hold off polesitter Simon Walton throughout an enticing opening race.

It was front-row starter Coggan who made the most of the first lap. While he tucked back behind Simon Walton into Clervaux, the DW Racing driver remained close throughout the opening half of the first lap, running side by side into the complex. Coggan was quick to break away, extending the lead slightly as Walton started to feel the pressure from Rob Allum. An unforced error into Chicane from Coggan would close the front runners up at half race distance, as the leading five stretched away from the opposition.

Positions amongst the top three remained static throughout as Coggan took revenge for losing a win at Donington while leading. For Josh it’s his second win of the year, putting him back in series contention. Simon Walton would take second, though it would be Ru Clark who secured third after penalties for time penalties, for both Rob Allum and Owen Walton, also in the five car queue. Allum had finished third on the road, but was demoted to sixth due to a 15 second penalty. While Owen Walton’s five second penalty did not see him lose a position, finishing fourth.

Clark had retaken the position from Owen in the closing stages, getting the run on Walton into Tower bend. The two ran abreast through the Jim Clark Esses, with Ru Clark taking many liberties on the inside of the second curve. The JW Bird Scirocco kept the position and secured third on his return to Croft. The biggest benefactor of Allum’s large penalty was Tony Prendergast. The Lowestoft driver had remained anonymous throughout, emerging as the highest placed midfield runner, securing fifth after penalties.

Despite qualifying fourth, damage to Mark Wakefield’s Golf after contact with Clark had scuppered much of his charge, soon falling back into the midfield battle and dropping places in the closing laps. He would eventually finish eighth behind the Hankook Trophy winner Russell Joyce. It was Joyce’s first visit to Croft, picking up his fourth Trophy of the year.

Jack Depper had been running eighth after the first lap, but an excursion destroyed his hard work on only the second lap. He spent the rest of the 20 minute race, working his way up and taking ninth ahead of Mark Steel in the Golf Mk7. Completing the order would be Matt Evans, Richard Gilbert and rookie Jeff Clark.

“Really happy to get a win this time. We had a couple of bad rounds at Silverstone and Donington, but we’re back at the top where we should be.

“I am a little concerned for ballast [for race two], 60kg in the car, though new tyres for race two, so we should be ok. The car does handle the weight well. As long as I can get a top six finish next time, I’d be happy with that.” – Josh Coggan

Hankook Trophy winner Russell Joyce was elated with his fourth Trophy of the year.

“We seem to be making a habit of it. It’d be nice to be on the podium with the other guys, but the Hankook is always an honour.

“We had a bad start and a few others got past us, so we struggled a little to get back up the field, though we had a good battle with Tony [Prendergast]. We could see Wakefield was struggling a bit, reeled him in quickly and made the move up from there to P7. A trophy is still a trophy after all.” – Russell Joyce