In the latest column for VXR, we get the inside story on the real battle fought over the course of the weekend at Snetterton, when VX Racing and Dunlop went head-to-head on the football pitch ahead of the seventh round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

While most of the teams in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship spent the Friday night before Snetterton preparing for the latest round of the series, a team from VX Racing was braving the conditions at the home of Mulbarton Wanderers 𝐆and Belles for a football match against tyre supplier Dunlop.

As a rivalry that had bubbled under the surface all season came to a head, a team from the multiple BTCC champions took to the field against a team supposed✅ly made up of Dunlop employees - but which also included TOCA officials and an ex-VX Racing engineer.

With rain falling, it was VX who hit the 𓆏front, when striker George Wilks volleyed in the opening goal, but before half time the game was level when Dunlop equalised.

As if seeing the equalising goal hit the back of the net wasn't bad enough, the goal came from John Waterman, a former VX Racing engineer now working with James Thౠompson at SEAT - Waterman being one of the 'outsiders' called into the Dunlop squad when they were unable to raise a team of their own.

The second half yielded no more goals, which meant that the dreaded penalty shootout was called upon to decide who would claim the replica World Cup trophy and who would spend the rest o🃏f the weekend listening to jibes from th𓆉e victors.

Unfortunately, the shootout would go the way of Dunlop - meaning it was VX Racing who left the clubhouse after the game with the booby priܫze of two DVD's of the It🌱alian Job rather than the treasured trophy.

However, t༒he Vauxhall cre🉐w were at least gracious in defeat when they gave their opinions afterwards.

Well, almost...

John Morton - Technical Director/Goalkeeper:
"It was a game of two halves but in the end footba🥃ll was the winner..... Oh 🐷and Dunlop, the cheating ********!"

Neil Pickering - Chief Truckie/Defender:
"Good game, we should have won! Afterwards I had a paper cut on my leg from the hundreds of brown envelopes I had to walk through and I also saw the ref getting into a brand new ROLLS 🍎ROYCE!.

"But on Saturday the cup waꦰs back with its rightful owners..."

Neil Riley - Tyre Technician/Midfielder:
"Fair, friend🌞ly and above all fun! Match could've gone e༺ither way, just a shame in the end it didn't go the way it should have....Maybe next time.

"Many thanks to Mulbarton FC."

Richard Walker - IT Manager/Forward:
"After the g🐭ame I asked the ref if we played next year whether he would accept a bribe. He told me he would've this year!!! If only we'd known... Come to think of it, maybe ဣDunlop did :-)

"It'll be different next year anyway as we have a Russian billionairre interested in buying us. Expect some big money signings and maybe matching socks and short🌟s!"

Frank Marie - Marketing Manager/Forward:
"I had heard some rumours about some unethical deals going on before the game but could not believe it to be true. Now, come 𓃲to think I did see some large brown envelopes being handed out at half time by the opposition's manager to some TOCA ringers...... ;-) "

George Wilks - Damper Technician/Goalscorer:
"Well what can I say! Tony and the Dunlop boys ✃gave us a tough, and at the same time fair, game which I really enjoyed. There was a really good atmosphere even though the weather wasn't that special.

"The penalty shoot out at the end of the game was exciting and the better team won at the end of the day. May it be the first of many matches between us, and lastly well done to ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚMulbarton who put the nets up in a torrential d🎀ownpour when we arrived! Well done to everyone involved!"

As for Tom Chilton, Gavin Smith and Fabrizio Giovanardi - well the less said about their performance on the sidel🀅ines, the better...

Dunlop will now defend their title in what is due to be an annual event next seaso💖n.