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VW Jetta: Series Mid-Ohio round five preview

Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Heads to Historic Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Event Will Mark Halfway Point of 2010 Season Volkswagen Motorsports Manager, Campbell, on the 2010 Season to date "We've seen some fantastic racing in the first four ...

Edited: Jun 15, 2010, 3:59 PM

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Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Heads to Historic Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Event Will Mark Halfway Point of 2010 Season

Volkswagen Motorsports Manager, Campbell, on the 2010 Season to date

"We've seen some fantastic racing in the first four events and I don't expect anything less next weekend in Lexington," said Clark Campbell, Motorsports Manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "Not only have our Series veterans improved this season, but our rookies are developing very quickly as well. At our last event in Utah, we had four rookies finish in the top-six. With exciting competition like this, we're certainly accomplishing the objectives of the TDI Cup - to not only develop up-and-coming drivers, but also to demonstrate the benefits of clean fuel technology to the US market."

Nine Veterans Return to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

This season, there are nine drivers returning to the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup from last year, including five drivers who finished in the top-ten at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2009. Last year, Andrew Cordeiro finished fourth, JD Mobley finished seventh, Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle finished eighth, AJ Nealey finished ninth and Andrew Novich rounded out the top-ten in the Series' debut at the historic road course. The other four returning drivers all finished in the top-19: Jake Thompson -- 11th; Taylor Broekemeier -- 12th; Ryan Ellis -- 13th; Juan Pablo Delgado -- 19th.

Tight Points Race Heading to Lexington

A mere 50 points separates the top five drivers in the 2010 Championship point standings heading into next weekend's event at Mid-Ohio. Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle is the current points leader; and has earned one victory, one pole and three podium appearances in the year's first four events. Furthermore, only 40 points separate fifth-fifteenth place and with 60 points available to the driver that notches the victory, things can change very quickly in the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. Thus far, this season has seen three different race winners and three different pole winners; so rest assured, anything is possible this weekend.

Local Driver Wyatt Gooden Set to for Hometown Race

When the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup heads to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course next weekend, one driver will be less than 70 miles away from his hometown. Wyatt Gooden, a resident of Gates Mills, OH is making his debut in the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup this season and will no doubt be looking for a win in his own backyard come Sunday.

For Gooden, motorsports has always been a family activity. At a young age, he and his father would watch all types of racing together from NASCAR to Formula 1; as well as attend CART events when the Series came to his home state of Ohio. When he turned ten, Gooden's father got him into karting where he competed at a local track in northern Ohio.

In 2002, he began competing on the WKA national circuit racing 2-cycle engines. Since he began, Gooden has earned his fair share of poles and podiums, of which he is particularly proud, as it was just he and his father competing against factory teams on the circuit. In 2007, Gooden made the move to racing cars by attending a Skip Barber three-day school at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course. He also participated in the 2008 Skip Barber Karting Shootout at Sebring International Raceway.

Last fall Gooden bested 1,163 competitors to win the iRacing.com Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup online racing series and earn his way into the selection process for the 2010 real-world version. Earlier this year, the 21-year-old computer information systems student turned in a standout performance at the three-day selection trials in Las Vegas and not only made the 25-driver 2010 field but because of his winning performance in the iRacing online racing series, qualified for a scholarship for his full participation fee for the 2010 season of ten real-world races.

Virginia Tech students earn their racing stripes with the Jetta TDI Cup

There's no better experience than on-the-job training, which is why nearly 20 engineering students from Virginia Tech University are taking part in the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup season. The Volkswagen Motorsports Jetta TDI Cup program allows Virginia Teach students interested in pursuing a career in motorsports with an opportunity to experience it first-hand. The students provide technical support at Volkswagen's race shop at VIR and on the road at the Series' ten race events. During the season, up to fifteen students will travel to each race and work alongside the Series technicians getting hands-on experience with every aspect of motorsports from changing tires to downloading data.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup program is an ideal way for students interested in a career in motorsports to learn about the industry and it provides them with the advantage of real-world experience before they enter the workplace.

-source: vw

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