31st August
Media information: 05 September 2008 A charity golf day held at Whittlebury Park Country Club, Northamptonshire, was a huge success, raising over £4,000 for charity. With Vauxhall’s British Touring Car drivers also competing, the Triple Eight Race Engineering organised event was a fantastic opportunity for all attendees to challenge their racing heroes whilst helping a good cause. The event, held on Thursday 28 August was organised in aid of Bliss, a charity that supports premature babies and their families. Vauxhall’s British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) drivers Fabrizio Giovanardi, Matt Neal and Tom Onslow-Cole swapped the race course for the fairway to join in the fun.
Keen golfers enjoyed the day, with the Supagard team winning the event by four clear strokes. Team Halstead took second place with GMAC Two finishing third. The Vauxhall drivers proved to be better behind the wheel than wielding a club as they failed to finish in the top spots.
“It was a really good day; everyone had a fantastic time,” said Onslow-Cole, who is also an ambassador for Bliss. “It was definitely an experience as I have never played golf before, but had great fun. It was a really big day for Bliss and I’m so pleased that we managed to make such a large contribution.
“The charity is extremely important to me. Two people close to me have given birth to premature babies, so it’s definitely something that I can relate to and see make a difference.”
The charity golf day took place before Vauxhall’s drivers returned to the track for the penultimate meeting of the 2008 BTCC season at Silverstone on 30 and 31 August. Reigning BTCC Champion, Giovanardi, took his fifth win of the season there, cementing his place at the top of the current drivers’ standings. Vauxhall is in a strong position to take all three championship titles, as it leads the manufacturer, team and driver standings. The final rounds of the BTCC will take place at Brands Hatch on 20 and 21 September.