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Volkswagen Motorsport International Newsletter

With Volkswagen participating in so many forms of Motorsport around the world, it’s often difficult to keep track of their performance. Luckily for us, Volkswagen Motorsport goes through the trouble of rounding up all of the key information from their various race series, and puts it all in one press release. Let’s get started.


FIA World Rallycross Championship

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Belgium: Heikkinen claims first win of the season in the Polo RX Supercar


Celebrations at Marklund Motorsport after round six of this season’s FIA World Rallycross Championship: Toomas “Topi” Heikkinen (FIN) produced a consistently strong display in the Volkswagen Polo RX Supercar in Mettet, Belgium, to claim overall victory for the Swedish team. Heikkinen had to settle for third place after the opening two heats, while team-mate Anton Marklund (S) – also in the Polo RX Supercar – held the overall lead. However, Heikkinen then produced a flawless performance in the final race to climb to the top of the overall standings, while Marklund eventually finished fifth. “I am absolutely over the moon,” said Heikkinen. “It is my first World Rallycross Championship win and I hope now that this is just the start of a fantastic second half of the season.” Victory in Belgium also saw Heikkinen climb one position in the World Championship standings, and the Finn now lies third with 117 points. Marklund is currently fifth with 85 points. The next World Championship races will take place at the Circuit Trois-Rivières in Canada on 7 and 8 August.


Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup

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Larini wins Show Race in Moscow – Seidel impresses in eighth place


Ex-Formula One driver Nicola Larini (I) won the Show Race in the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup in Moscow. After 13 laps of the 3.91-kilometre Moscow Raceway, the Italian crossed the finish line first ahead of another ex-Formula One driver, Jan Lammers (NL), and local Russian favourite and WTCC driver Mikhail Kozlovskiy. The safety car had to make an unwelcome appearance on lap four, when Sven Hannawald (D) collided with Inessa Tushkanova (RUS), resulting in former Olympic ski-jumping champion Hannawald having to retire from the race. Manuel Reuter (D) suffered the same fate with just two laps to go. The mentor for the young drivers had to park up after a crash with young Russian Viktor Shaitar. Playmate Doreen Seidel (D) started from the back of the grid, but fought back impressively to finish eighth. 15 drivers took part in the invitational race in the Russian capital, which was sponsored by Volkswagen’s partner Gazprom.


FIA Formula 3 European Championship

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Verstappen, King and Blomqvist on the podium in Moscow


After six wins in a row, Volkswagen driver Max Verstappen (NL) had to settle for two podium finishes in the Formula 3 European Championship at the Moscow Raceway. The Dutchman came home third in the opening race and second in race three. Together with Jordan King (GB) and Tom Blomqvist (GB), Verstappen ensured that the podium featured at least one driver “powered by Volkswagen” in each of the three races. King crossed the finish line in second place in race one, while Blomqvist was the Volkswagen representative on the podium in the second race, coming home third. Verstappen suddenly slowed down on lap eleven of race two, and subsequently deposited his Dallara Volkswagen in the garage just a little later. The weekend’s dominant man was Esteban Ocon (F), who extended his lead in the championship with three outstanding start-finish victories.


Volkswagen Polo R-Cup India

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Tharani and Thomas win in Coimbatore


Karthik Tharani Singh (IND) and Bonnie Thomas (IND) won the two races on the second weekend of the Volkswagen Polo R-Cup India in Coimbatore. Both races at the circuit in the south of India were once again spectacular: Tharani Singh won race one, which was suspended due to a crash, ahead of Anshul Manoj Shah (IND) and Karminder Pal Singh (IND). The second race took place on a damp track, resulting in several braking errors and spectacular duels. Thomas coped best with the conditions, crossing the finish line ahead of Pal Singh and Yatin Magu (IND). The next races in the Volkswagen Polo R-Cup will take place in Noida from 3 to 5 October.


Volkswagen Racing Cup

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Di Resta wins in Spa to move into the overall lead


Stefan Di Resta (GB) has taken over at the top of the overall standings in the Volkswagen Racing Cup. The fifth race weekend of the popular British touring car cup in Spa-Francorchamps (B) saw the younger brother of DTM star Paul Di Resta take the overall lead in the series courtesy of a fourth place in race one and victory in the second race. Rookie Lucas Orrock (GB) won the opening race in his Scirocco R at the legendary “Ardennes Rollercoaster”, finishing ahead of David Sutton (GB), also in a Scirocco R, and James Walker (GB) in a Golf GTI. Defending champion Aaron Mason (GB), who came into the weekend as overall leader, fell back through the field following a puncture whilst running second on the penultimate lap. Orrock looked certain to win the second race, until he lost the front bumper from his Scirocco R with three laps to go, resulting in a flat spot from braking. The beneficiary was Di Resta, who came through to cross the finish line first ahead of Golf GTI driver Joe Fulbrook (GB) and Orrock. With four races to go, Di Resta now leads Fulbrook by two points at the top of the overall standings.


South African Rally Championship

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Podium, Team and Manufacturer trophies for the Polo S2000 at its “home rally”


Third place for Hans Weijs jr./Björn Degandt (NL/B), Team and Manufacturer trophies for the Volkswagen Sasolracing team – the fourth round of the South African Rally Championship was a successful home event for the duos in the Polo S2000. Weijs jr/Degandt were able to translate their controlled offensive into a third podium of the season at the “Volkswagen Rally” on the Eastern Cape, around Port Elizabeth. Their team-mates Gugulethu Zulu/Carl Peskin (ZA/ZA) ended the rally, which takes the competitors through thick forests and is regarded as one of the most demanding on the calendar, in fourth place. Henk Lategan/Barry White (ZA/ZA), also in a Polo S2000, hit a tree stump on the opening day which brought their hopes of a podium finish to a premature end, despite a promising start. They eventually came home ninth. Thilo Himmel/Armand Du Toit (NAM/ZA) and Raimund Baumschlager/Klaus Wicha (A/D) failed to finish.


Fun-Cup

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One second clear after 25 hours: “Allure Team 2” wins highlight of the season


After 2,892.652 kilometres and 25 hours of racing, the gap between first and second was a mere 41.66 metres or 1.279 seconds – the highlight of the Volkswagen Fun-Cup season ended with a dramatic finish. “Allure Team 2” came home just ahead of the “SPI” team at the 25-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps. Belgians Cédric Bollen, Frédéric and Kevin Caprasse and Guillaume Mondron made the most of their home advantage to win ahead of the three Frenchmen Philippe Illiano, endurance ace Alain Ferté and Louis Gervoson. Third place went to the “Allure Kottage” team with Belgian drivers Frédéric Bouvet, Lorenzo Donniacuo, Pierre Piron and Damien Dupont. Remarkably, the top four teams were separated by just 2:27.138 minutes after 413 laps of the infamous “Ardennes Rollercoaster”.


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