VW GTI - crank no start - very fast cranking

I replaced the clutch master cylinder on a 2002 GTI VR6.  I had to remove the clutch pedal which necessitated removing the clutch interlock switch.  On reassembly I decided to bypass the switch so that I could start the car without having the clutch depressed.  It cranks but won't start.  In cranking it sounds like it is cranking 2x what would be normal.  Is this just the result of a strong full juice battery or might that be a telltale sign as I start to troubleshoot?  I know to check fuel & spark but it's just weird that this happened right after this job and all was fine beforehand.  Trying to figure out what I may have done to cause this.

Can you see anything on the front of the engine spin when it's cranking? It would be a weird coincidence but it may be that the mechanism that moves the starter gear to contact the flywheel broke, so now the starter is free-spinning pointlessly on its own and not turning the engine at all.

What happens when you hook the switch back up?

Did you bypass the switch correctly? Some work by opening a circuit, others by closing.

Cranking too fast generally means the engine is flooded, or the cams are out of time.  

If you shut the engine off cold, it may be flooded and have no compression.

This is not just a rotary engine thing.  I've had it happen to piston engines, usually Japanese but twice on VWAG engines.  The first time it happened to me was on my Nissan and I thought the timing chain broke.

Pull the plugs, crank the engine, add a little oil to the cylinders, crank again, put plugs back in, start.

This may be silly, but are the pedals pushed down in any way? Floor mat on the gas? Idk when it started but you can prime the engine by pushing the gas and cranking....and sometimes a floor mat does that for you.

I had that happen on an old Chevy that had worn through its fiber(!) cam drive gear off the crank. Valves stopped moving and the tip off was watching the air/fuel mix puffing in and out of the top of the carb. Seems highly unlikely in your case, but something's happened that's reduced cracking effort.

I did the first round - I reconnected the brake and clutch switches and they act as normal - key in, clutch up no crank, clutch depressed cranks.

Fuel flows from the fuel line at the engine.  Pulleys turn.  Just cranks with no start.  Fuel pump relay swapped with a new one, no change so I put the old one back in.

Since the car is at a remote location, I want to plan ahead.  Next step would be pull a plug, check for spark and do a compression test? Will a good scanner show live data during cranking?  Might this give me any insights?  It's coil on plug, so if it's ignition it seems like it should be well back to get all of them.  

I feel like I did something dumb since it was running fine before I started messing around in the underdash.  Other than the fuel pump relay, are there any other master relays on a VW that would kill the ignition?

If it is spinning really fast, it isn't an electrical issue.  Nothing electrical will cause it to do that.

There was actually a TSB from VWAG for this, as it was common enough on 1.8t engines.  They recommended a carbon clean and oil change after starting it.

Crank it with the throttle all the way open until it builds compression, if you don't feel like pulling plugs.  It might take 20 or 30 seconds.

Could the cylinder walls be washed down with gas? Would adding a spoonful of oil on the top of each piston help to build compression if the walls were washed with gas?