24-hour race Nurburgring
Successful dress rehearsal: Both Scirocco score class victories
Victory in the class for two-liter turbocharged cars and victory in the class for cars with alternative fuels: At the third round of the BFGoodrich Endurance Championship around the Nurburgring-Nordschleife Volkswagen staged a successful dress rehearsal for the 24-hour race (21 - 24 May) in the legendary "Green Hell". In the red Scirocco GT24-CNG with its Natural Gas powered near 300 hp two-liter turbo engine, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg (D), Member of the Board of Volkswagen AG with responsibility for Technical Development of the Volkswagen brand, as well as journalists Bernd Ostmann (D) and Peter Wyss (CH) drove a strong problem-free four-hour race as did two-time Rally World Champion and Volkswagen factory driver Carlos Sainz (E) together with Vanina Ickx (B) and Franck Mailleux (F) in the blue gasoline powered Scirocco with a 315 hp two-liter turbo engine. At the 24-hour race Volkswagen fields two "Natural Gas Scirocco" and three Scirocco with conventional fuel.
British Formula 3 Championship
Volkswagen with a victory and four podium positions at Silverstone
Even at this early stage of the British Formula 3 Championship season Daniel Ricciardo recorded already his third victory. The Australian, who drives for Volkswagen partner team Carlin Motorsport, improved after finishing fifth in the first race to cross the finish line as winner in the second race. In doing so he convincingly defended his championship lead. Ricciardo's team mate Max Chilton claimed a brace of podium finishes. The Briton was second in the first race, and third in the second race. The Brazilian Adriano Buzaid driving for Volkswagen partner team T-Sport claimed the fourth podium position of the weekend for Volkswagen. His second place also represented his team's best result of the season.
Swedish Touring Car Championship
Successful premiere for Volkswagen Scirocco Biogas
The newly developed Volkswagen Scirocco Biogas celebrated a successful race debut in the season opener of the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC). Fredrik Ekblom and Patrik Olsson each drove one of the near 280 hp Sciroccos, which are powered by innovative Biogas, through both races at Mantorp Park and finished in strong midfield positions at the end. With ninth place in the second race Ekblom narrowly missed a points scoring finish.
Swedish Junior Touring Car Championship
Two Volkswagen victories at season opener
Volkswagen impressed with victories in both races at the first Swedish Junior Touring Car Championship (JTCC) race weekend of 2009 at Mantorp Park. After starting from pole position for the first race defending champion Alexander Graff left the opposition no chance and duly crossed the finish line in first position. Niclas Olsson, who still raced in the ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup in Germany last year, was fourth - the third Golf driver in the field, Marcus Jansson, scored one championship point after finishing eighth. After the second race it was JTCC newcomer Jansson who was found on the top step of the podium. With third and fourth positions Olsson and Graff completed the excellent Volkswagen showing.
Volkswagen Endurance Cup Netherlands
Dukes Racing wins second race of season
Dukes Racing were victorious in the second race of the Volkswagen Endurance Cup Netherlands. On 28 April in Zolder, Belgium it was Henny van Doorn and Mike Verschuur who won by nine seconds from team Peter Kommer Autosport and another six seconds separated the title defending team Manpower 1 after five hours and 110 laps of racing. The race was interrupted eight times due to heavy rain. Team RSR (102 points) that had won the season opener at Zandvoort continues to lead the table. Every team contesting the Netherlands Endurance Cup fields a Volkswagen Golf V TDI.
Coming up next...
8--10 May
Race 3 and 4 of ADAC Formula Masters at Assen (NL)
8--10 May
Race 5 and 6 of Formula Volkswagen South Africa at Killarney (ZA)
8--10 May
Race 5 and 6 of Volkswagen Polo Cup South Africa at Killarney (ZA)
-credit: vw
