16th December 2021

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In a season like no other, Matrix Motorsport team principal Jeff Alden showed tenacity and consistency to deliver a performance that secured his best result to-date by finishing runner-up in the 2021 Maximum Networks Volkswagen Racing Cup.

 

With the championship celebrating its 20th anniversary and having gone through generational changes over the past few seasons, competitor numbers dictated that the 2021 VW Cup would share the grid with the Goodyear Touring Car Trophy and TCR UK series. This amalgamation saw the championship run for seven of the 14 intended rounds, with two races taking place at Silverstone in April, two races at Castle Combe in May and three at Brands Hatch in June.

 

The season started well for Alden, who opened his account with two third place finishes at Silverstone, results that placed him second in the driver standings as the championship headed for its second meeting of the year at Castle Combe. 

 

A fourth place in the first of the two races around the technically demanding Wiltshire circuit was enough to provide the Matrix Motorsport with an advantageous grid position for race two. Leading for the first two laps, Jeff did well to fend off the competition to claim his third podium finish of the season.

 

Next on the calendar was Brands Hatch, the shorter Indy configuration of the track always generating intense and exciting racing. One of his favourite venues, Jeff was in his element and went on to score an impressive hattrick of third places over the course of the weekend. 

 

As it transpired, it would be the final VW Cup event of the season, as fellow drivers migrated to TCR cars or were unable to continue their campaigns due to other commitments. For London-based businessman Jeff, whilst the cut-short calendar meant his motorsport programme for the season was curtailed, it enabled him to concentrate on his corporate commitments that proved to be valuable use of his new-found spare time.

 

The six podium finishes from the seven rounds rewarded Jeff with the best result of his career so far with a credible second-place finish in what could be the final season ever for the Volkswagen Racing Cup – an outcome that will go down in the championship’s two-decade history.

 

Jeff and his Matrix Motorsport team are now considering their options for 2022 and whilst the final decision is yet to be announced, a full season national saloon campaign is eagerly anticipated. 

 

ENDS