TotalMotorSport All the latest Motorsport news, race reports and photographs from around the world. Alms, Touring Cars, Formula One & Le Mans 24 Hours

<body> <Table Width="550" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="0"><TR><TD Width="35"><IMG SRC="//www.totalmotorsport.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="35" HEIGHT="1"></td><td> <CENTER><Table border="0" width="100%"> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="5">PRIVILEGE INSURANCE BRITISH GT CHAMPIONSHIP</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">25/09/2001</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Beetle Drive</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">For Sumpter</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><img border="1" src="Storage/riveFor%20PRI.jpg"></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="1">  </FONT></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">Yes its absolutely true - 'Shorty' would have loved to have seen this on the timing screen after a qualifying session: "Position 6, Car 77 (same as his GTO mount), Mark Sumpter, Volkswagen Beetle."<BR> <BR> Still, why not get as much racing in as possible as the season draws to a close? The 2000 Privilege GTO Champion took part in the Volkswagen Racing Cup - a support race to the BTCC at Donington - on Sunday 23 September. He qualified sixth, third of the Beetles and behind a Corrado and two Vento VR6s. <BR> <BR> The twelve lap race provided some close, hard racing and was actually one of the highlights of the weekend (alongside two good BTCC races and two excellent SuperSports battles). Sumpter was up to third by the end of the first lap but was tapped into a half-spin by Nick Adcock at Melbourne Hairpin on lap 2 - the latter leaving his braking far too late. This lost the Paragon-entered #77 Beetle two places, but set up a great scrap with Ken Lark's silver Corrado for half of the race, which developed into a four-way fight for third. It was actually a retired car which decided Mark's race for him, and must have given him one hell of a scare.<BR> <BR> Craig Inskip's Golf's front left suspension cried enough on the exit of the Melbourne hairpin on lap 7 and the car stopped on the exit kerb. The race went on and as the Sumpter pack squabbled out of the chicane, Mark found himself fully on the kerb and heading straight for the back of the parked car. Quick thinking saved what could easily have been a disaster, so he dived left to pass the car ON THE GRASS, leaving a tiny gap between the tyre wall and the stricken Golf. <BR> <BR> This lost him at least two places, but he kept it together to pull one back on the last lap, finishing fifth.<BR> <BR> Paul Slinger</FONT></TD></TR> </TABLE><BR> </CENTER> <BR><CENTER><font size="1" color="#808080" face="Tahoma">Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport</font></CENTER> </td> </tr> </table> </body>