Volkswagen Polo R Cup 2012

AUTOMOBILES/SPORTS

The Grand Finale of Volkswagen Polo R Cup 2012 to flag off on India’s F1 track, 

Buddh International Circuit

Volkswagen Polo R Cup finale, part of Sidvin Festival of Speed, one of the biggest motorsports event in the country

The championship still open with 120 points on offer in the last round

Nov 27, 2012

by Prashant Kapadia/ INS

Polo R Cup has come a long way since its beginning in 2010. The first ever race took place in Pune in a first of its kind, street race format. This year, the season finale moves to one of the world’s best Formula 1 tracks, the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida. Volkswagen Motorsport has been successfully running the series and has produced some promising talents who have then gone on to participate in international racing series. This year, in contention of the title is Ameya Walavalkar (384 points). He is followed by Sandeep Kumar (307 points), Rahil Noorani (301 points), Avdumber Hede (277 points) and Saurav Bandyopadhay (237). With 2 races and 60 points for the winner of each race, the championship is still open.

The country’s largest motorsport sponsors and promoters, Volkswagen, JK Tyre and MRF Tyres, have come together with Sidvin and organized the Festival of Speed. This festival will host a number of national and international races, all in one weekend, at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida.

The Sidvin Festival of Speed includes the finales of JK Tyre National Championship’s and Polo R Cup along with two major International Championships, the JK Racing Asia Series finale, and Round 2 of the MRF Challenge 2012. Close to 125 talented drivers from India and abroad will converge to display their skill at the event, which promises motorsport enthusiasts a veritable feast of nail-biting action, intense battles and unmatched moments of glory. The race weekend will include in all 14 races.

“Being a part of the Sidvin Festival of Speed, we at Volkswagen Motorsport are able to provide our drivers an opportunity to experience driving and racing at one of the finest circuits in the world Along with JK Tyre and MRF Tyres, we are sure of offering the spectators a mega motorsports event this coming weekend”, said Prithviraj Siddappa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India.

Championship Standing after Round 5 of Volkswagen Polo R Cup India 2012:

Position	Name	Round 1-Race 1	Round 1- Race 2	Round 2-Race 1	Round 2-Race 2	Round 3-Race 1	Round 3-Race 2	Round 4-Race 1	Round 4-Race 2	Round 5-Race 1	Round 5-Race 2	Total
1	Ameya Walavalkar	10	16	30	20	60	48	60	32	60	48	384
2	A. Sandeep Kumar	20	12	17	24	48	40	28	60	24	34	307
3	Rahil Noorani	12	14	24	17	26	26	48	40	34	60	301
4	Avdumber Hede	30	13	16	12	40	32	40	30	48	16	277
5	Saurav Bandyopadhay	13	10	11	15	28	10	30	48	40	32	237
6	Munjal Savla	17	15	7	10	24	34	34	28	26	30	225
7	Donovan Vaz	11	11	14	30	30	30	26	22	22	28	224
8	Prashanth Tharani Singh	16	24	DNF	14	0	20	32	34	32	40	212
9	Mihir Dharkar	24	17	20	16	32	60	22	10	DNP	DNP	201
10	Alisha Abdulla	15	30	DNF	DNF	0	18	20	24	24	26	157
11	Hanoosh Surapaneni	8	8	13	6	16	14	18	20	20	22	145
12	Mahinder Khidia	9	7	10	9	12	16	10	14	18	24	129
13	Niranjan Todkari	7	5	9	8	20	8	16	18	16	18	125
14	Angad Singh Matharoo	DNF	DNS	15	7	18	28	12	12	28	DNF	120
15	Siddharth Sharma	DNF	4	8	4	14	12	14	16	14	20	106
16	Ajay Kini	14	20	DNF	13	34	22	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	103
17	Anthony George	6	9	6	11	22	24	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	78
18	Siddharth TT	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	24	26	DNP	DNP	50
19	Yatin Magu	5	6	12	5	0	0	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	28
20	Diego Duez	G	G	G	G	G	G	G	G	G	G	G
21	Tabish Khan	DNF	DNF	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP

DNF denotes Did Not Finish                                DNS denotes Did Not Start

DNP denotes Did Not Participate                        G denotes Guest Driver

Recorded version of the races can be viewed on www.autotrack.ind.in/recorded-video.aspx

Thanks to its proven concept of promoting young talent abroad, the Polo R Cup enjoys the reputation of being an ideal stepping stone to enter professional racing. Building on its success of two great seasons since its inception in 2010, Volkswagen Motorsport hopes to make the Polo R Cup this year an exciting and challenging season in the Indian Motorsports calendar.

Motor sports enthusiasts interested in getting further information can log on to the website, www.polocup.in. This website displays information about Polo R Cup format, race updates and driver profiles. Follow Polo R Cup on www.facebook.com/vwpolocupIndia. Follow Sidvin Festival of Speed on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sidvin-Festival-of-Speed-2012/491829274184617

About Volkswagen Motorsport 

In more than 40 years of motorsport history Volkswagen has been setting standards primarily in three areas: The brand celebrated exploits in touring car racing, formula racing and rally racing.

The brand’s history in motorsport started in 1966, in formula racing. Formula V – "V” stood for Volkswagen – became an important career step for drivers like Keke Rosberg or Niki Lauda. With 58 hp and the robust technology of the Beetle it offered favourably priced entry and high-quality racing for young drivers. Later, one-make cups like Formula König powered by Volkswagen and Formula Volkswagen built upon this line and consistently followed through on the one-make cup idea with

standard chassis. In 2008 Formula ADAC powered by Volkswagen started to continue this tradition.

In comparison with other manufacturers Volkswagen set the pace on the formula stage as well. Between 1979 and 1994 Volkswagen, as a Formula 3 engine manufacturer, won 55 international titles, including seven in Germany. Since September 2007 Volkswagen has been competing in the Formula 3 Euro Series, since 2008 in the German Formula 3 Cup and since 2009 in the British Formula 3, and with success: 2009 saw the title wins in the German and British Championships, and 2010 in all three series.

At the prestigious Formula 3 finale in Macau in November 2009 and 2010 Edoardo Mortara celebrated wins "powered by Volkswagen”.

Successes in rally sport

While the first off-road excursions date back all the way to the 1970s, Volkswagen has been systematically promoting young talent since 1980. For half a decade, the Golf Rally Cup offered optimum opportunities to young drivers. Concurrently, Volkswagen in the 1986 World Rally Championship clinched

the title win in Group A with the Golf and driver Kenneth Eriksson. In cross-country rally sport the brand achieved its first big exploit by winning the 1980 Dakar Rally. From 2009 to 2011 Volkswagen became the first manufacturer to win the legendary rallye with a car powered by a Diesel engine.

Attractive one-make cups in touring car racing

In more than three decades Volkswagen has shaped the touring car scene as well. The Scirocco Cup, as the first one-make cup from 1976 onwards, produced a subsequent Formula 1 driver, Manfred Winkelhock. It was followed by the Golf Cup and the Lupo/Polo Cup from which numerous talented drivers managed to ascend to higher-level series. Currently, the Scirocco R-Cup is causing a sensation.