Volkswagen newsletter 2008-08-31

Formula 3 Euro Series
First one-two win for Volkswagen

Franck Mailleux and Jean Karl Vernay clinched the first one-two victory for Volkswagen at Brands Hatch at the Formula 3 Euro Series' seventh race weekend. The two Frenchmen from the Signature team had secured the top grid positions for the round on Sunday and did not give their rivals the slightest chance at the tradition-steeped circuit south-east of London. The Italian Edoardo Mortara finished both rounds on Saturday and Sunday in fourth place. With second place overall, the 21-year-old continues to hold prospects for the title win in the fiercely competitive junior series.

Cross-country rally sport
Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 completes two successful tests in Morocco

With a Race Touareg 2 that has been subjected to detailed further development Volkswagen completed further tests in preparation of the 2009 Dakar Rally. In Morocco the four driver/co-driver teams Carlos Sainz/Michel Perin (E/F), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (RSA/D), Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/RSA) and Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D) reeled off more than the distance of a "Dakar". Besides so-called long runs, component tests were on the agenda which primarily achieved improvements with the suspension set-up and geometry as well as with visibility for the drivers.

Cross-country rally sport
Volkswagen tackles final sporting competition before 2009 Dakar Rally

The final competition in Volkswagen's preparation for the "Dakar" will be the fielding of three Race Touareg 2 vehicles at the second round of the Dakar Series in Portugal. From 10 to 14 September, Carlos Sainz/Michel Perin (E/F), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (RSA/D) and Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D) will contest the rally, which starts in Lisbon and finishes in Portimão. The first contest in this new series, in which Volkswagen's immediate "Dakar" rivals from Mitsubishi and X-Raid-BMW participated as well, was decided in favour of Volkswagen: overall victory at the Central Europe Rally through Hungary and Romania in April went to the Volkswagen duo Sainz/Perin.

ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup
Maiden victory for Maciek Steinhof

At the eighth round of the ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup at Brands Hatch, Great Britain, the Pole Maciek Steinhof clinched his first ever victory in the "touring car school". In qualifying the 22-year-old had secured his first ever pole position. The other podium places on the merely 1.929-kilometre circuit went to Elia Erhart from Rottenbach and Shane Williams. The South African thus extended his lead in the championship.

Swedish Touring Car Championship
Victory for Volkswagen driver Alexander Graff

Volkswagen drivers Alexander Graff and Johan Kristoffersson celebrated a one-two victory at the seventh race weekend of the Swedish Junior Touring Car Championship (JTCC) at Knutstorp. Graff, who had started from the pole position on the roughly two-kilometre circuit prevailed against his brand colleagues with a narrow margin after eleven laps in the first race. In the second race, Markus Fluch in another Golf finished as the runner-up. Graff saw the chequered flag in sixth place and thus defended his overall lead.

Volkswagen Endurance Cup the Netherlands
Den Boer, Bergmans and Kamphues win at Assen

Jeroen den Boer, Rob Bergmans and Rob Kamphues clinched victory at the fifth round of the Dutch Volkswagen Endurance Cup at Assen. On the tradition-steeped circuit the trio in their Golf TDI relegated Sander Etman, Nick Etman and Leonard Batenburg to second place after a six-hour race. Finishing third, Ronald Morien and Ferry Duivenvoorde took the overall lead.

Coming up next...

5 - 7 September
13th and 14th round of the ATS Formula 3 Cup a the EuroSpeedway (D)

5 - 7 September
9th and 10th round of the ADAC Formula Masters at the EuroSpeedway (D)

6 - 7 September
13th and 14th round of the Volkswagen Polo Cup South Africa at Zwartkops (RSA)

10 - 14 September
2nd round of the Dakar Series in Portugal

-credit: volkswagen