Nurburgring: Volkswagen preview

Volkswagen Motorsport at the Nurburgring (D)

The Nurburgring and the Volkswagen talents: Tradition meets modernity

Wolfsburg (07 August 2009). The most tradition-steeped race track worldwide, the motorsport stars of the future: The legendary Nurburgring receives the Volkswagen talents from the Formula 3 Euro Series and the ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup from 14 to 16 August. Whereas races eleven and twelve of the season mark the European top-calibre Formula 3 series' start to the season's second half on the Eifel circuit, the Polo Cup already gears up for the final spurt in the title fight. Three young drivers will fight for the championship in the "touring car school" at the remaining three races of the season.

Seven talents start to second half "powered by Volkswagen"

Nurburgring, Brands Hatch, Barcelona, Dijon-Prenois, Hockenheim - the tradition-steeped circuit in the Eifel will see the Formula 3 Euro Series starting to the second half of the season. For the Volkswagen drivers, the goal is clear: They aim to add further podium finishes to the 18 podiums clinched at 30 races. Most recently, Mika Maki from the partner team Signature at Oschersleben, Jake Rosenzweig from Carlin Motorsport at Zandvoort and Maki's team colleague Jean Karl Vernay at the Norisring caused the champagne bottles to pop. Other candidates for the leap onto the winners' podium at rounds eleven and twelve of the season at the Nurburgring are Signature driver Tiago Geronimi, Carlin man Brendon Hartley as well as the drivers of the Kolles & Heinz Union team Nick Tandy and Johan Jokinen.

Ranking third in the standings, Jean Karl Vernay goes to the remaining ten races of the season. "Starting to the second half from this base is positive of course," says the Frenchman. "After the races at Oschersleben and Zandvoort didn't go as well as we'd been expecting, of course we want to leave a strong sporting mark in both rounds at the Nurburgring.

ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup: three races, three title candidates

Maciek Steinhof, Elia Erhart, Max Sandritter - these three "touring car students" fight for the champion's title in the remaining races of the ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup. The round at the Nurburgring marks part one of the show-down. Maciek Steinhof enters the final phase of the fight between the three front runners with a sound advantage: The Pole scored 276 out of 300 possible points at the first six races of the season, clinching four wins and two second places. Nevertheless, it is too early to put the bottles of bubbly into the fridge. His rival Elia Erhart - thanks to amazing consistency - is within striking distance: The 21-year-old from Rottenbach secured five podium positions and is ranking 74 points behind Steinhof as the runner-up in the standings. 60 points are awarded for race victory. Trailing Erhart by just three points, Max Sandritter is in third place of the classification. With a double-header victory at Volkswagen's home round at Oschersleben the 20-year-old from Raubling kept his title chances intact.

"Maciek Steinhof is the season's high-flyer thanks to strong races. He deserves utmost respect for this," says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "But the points system of the Polo Cup rewards drivers demonstrating high levels of consistency as well. That's why we can look forward to a thrilling fight between three front runners up to the end of the season. Drivers can simply not afford to show any weaknesses in the 'touring car school'. That's one but not the only reason why this one-make cup is an excellent preparation of the drivers for future challenges."

-credit: vw