Pictured: the triumphant Dubai team. Image courtesy KPM Racing

NEWS RELEASE: 12 JANUARY 2014

CLASS SECOND FOR MASON, CAYGILL & KPM IN DUBAI

Volkswagen Racing Cup Champion Aaron Mason and fellow VW Cup driver Josh Caygill are celebrating a second place finish in class in their maiden round-the-clock race. Aaron and Josh, together with BTCC star Tom Onslow-Cole and sports car hands Paul White and Javier Morcillo, piloted a Milltek Sport-backed KPM Racing Mk VI Golf TDI to the runner-up spot in class D1 (diesel touring cars up to 2000cc) in the 24 Hours of Dubai, which concluded yesterday.

After qualifying second in class, the KPM Golf took the class lead three hours into the event, and battled back from a time penalty to go back in front of the other diesels entering the 13th hour. Contact with another runner led to a quick unscheduled stop for Mason, and further time was lost through a front-end rebuild required to fix a failed upright. The squad rejoined fourth in class with Caygill at the wheel.

Thanks to a magnificent combined effort, the rookie team was back up to P2 with an hour left and survived a late gearbox problem to secure the trophy for second place D1 in at the chequered flag.

Said KPM boss Kevin Poole: “We were running issue-free in the opening hours on Friday until Aaron had contact from a faster car and we had to pit with quite some damage. Unfortunately, we didn’t know the extent until we sent the car back out with Tom and it was completely undriveable, so we decided to cut our losses and replace the entire front end. This would obviously cost us time, but would hopefully give us a good run mechanically until the end. The gearbox then failed with one hour to go and the team did an extraordinary job to change it in just 25 minutes. Our aim was then to preserve our second place to the end of the race, knowing that the win was out of our grasp. I would like to thank all the guys in the team, Milltek Sport, everyone who has supported us for our first 24 hour endurance event and our drivers. It has been exhausting but fantastic, and a very encouraging start to KPM Racing’s 2014 season.”

Added Caygill: “It feels fantastic to be a part of this event and team. Everyone mucked in and helped produce a podium finish in our first 24 hours race. The car was great to drive; it is a shame we had the gearbox problem at the end, but we made up positions, showed our stamina and are really happy with second place trophy in class.”

Aaron Mason: “It has been an absolutely brilliant experience driving in Dubai. Well done to everyone in the team and all the drivers. It was truly an entire team effort and one I’ll never forget.”