Karting Scholarship winner for the 2010 season of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup
Arie Ouimet awarded coveted 2010 top karter scholarship of $45,000
Volkswagen Motorsport is proud to announce Arie Ouimet of Plymouth, Massachusetts as their 2010 Karting Qualifier award winner. Ouimet competed against thirty karters for the top prize–a $45,000 scholarship towards the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup season.
“The skill level of our karters through the selection process proved to be extremely competitive and Arie should be proud of his performance that led to him earning the top prize,” states Dennis McCormack, Program Director of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. “I am proud of Arie for his accomplishments through the qualifiers and final selection event and look forward to the first race at Virginia International Raceway in April.”
Ouimet competed in the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Karting Qualifiers where he became one of thirty karting finalists to move on to the final driver selection event of the 2010 season. The final selection event was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, where over 40 drivers came out to compete for the coveted 25 positions of the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup driver field. Drivers were instructed in multiple sessions including mentoring from professional driving instructors, media training, sponsorship development, fitness assessment, Volkswagen brand familiarization, autocross and karting courses, and track time in a Jetta TDI Cup car. After three days of the selection process, Ouimet was chosen as the top finalist from the karting program and was awarded the $45,000 scholarship.
“Arie was the most consistent and improved driver through our selection process,” said Ryan Arciero, Volkswagen Factory Driver and VW Jetta TDI Cup Driving Instructor “Arie ended the three days at the top of our scoring sheets and proved he deserves the scholarship. He was up against seasoned drivers from various facets of racing and managed to earn the top karting position after rigorous testing throughout the final driver selection event.”
The final 25 drivers that will compete in the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup will be heading to Virginia International Raceway in April for races 1 and 2 of the season. Drivers will compete in ten road course races throughout North America in identical, factory-prepared and maintained clean diesel Jetta TDIs. In addition to more than $50,000 in prize money at stake during the season, the series champion receives Volkswagen factory career advancement support with a value up to $100,000. Each driver competing in the series also earns a Pro Racing license from the SCCA at the conclusion of the season.
2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Schedule
Round 1 & 2 April 23 – 25 Virginia International Raceway (Alton, VA)
Round 3 May 8 – 9 New Jersey Motorsports Park (Millville, NJ)
Round 4 June 5 – 6 Miller Motorsports Park (Tooele, UT)
Round 5 June 18 – 20 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Lexington, OH)
Round 6 July 30 – Aug. 1 Autobahn Country Club (Joliet, IL)
Round 7 & 8 Aug. 20 – 22 Road America (Elkhart Lake, WI)
Round 9 & 10 Sept. 24 – 26 Autodromo AMOZOC (Puebla, Mexico)
To learn more about the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup, visit www.volkswagenjettacup.com.
Volkswagen announces the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup driver lineup
25 Drivers Ready To Compete For The Series Championship Starting April 23, 2010
Volkswagen is proud to announce the names of the 25 drivers who will compete in the 2010 Jetta TDI® Cup. The Volkswagen-operated spec racing series, now entering its third season, will take the green flag on its SCCA Pro Racing-sanctioned events beginning April 23 at Virginia International Raceway.
The drivers selected to compete in the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup include:
Rafael Navarro IV – Temecula, CA
Arie Ouimet – Plymouth, MA
Chris Wehrheim – Norcross, GA
JJ Tomlinson – Park City, UT
Justine Jackson – Kingston, Jamaica
Jarvis Gennari – Boca Raton, FL
Mike Mineo-Nardacci – East Hills, NY
Jenna Wagner – Bristol, VA
Nate Norenberg – Plymouth, MN
JD Mobley – Castle Rock, CO
Andrew Cordeiro – Woodbridge, ON
Jake Thompson – Calgary, AB
Colin Thompson – Perkasie, PA
Michael Hogg – Vancouver, BC
Kevin Gleason – Johnstown, PA
Taylor Tzouanakis – Wauconda, IL
Wyatt Gooden – Gates Mills, OH
Brian Whitmire – Baton Rouge, LA
AJ Severino – Hamilton, NJ
Andrew Novich – Novato, CA
Taylor Broekemeier – Fort Collins, CO
AJ Nealey – Edgewater, MD
Ryan Ellis – Ashburn, VA
Juan Pablo Delgado – Orizaba, Mexico
Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle – Puebla, Mexico
Earlier this week in Las Vegas, NV, Volkswagen welcomed driver candidates from throughout North America for three days of in-depth testing and analysis. All drivers were evaluated through a variety of on- and off-track scenarios to establish skill level, potential, and overall ability. Following a collection of driving activities, physical fitness tests, media training, and an in-depth sponsorship workshop from Townsend Bell, who finished 4th in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 (www.townsendbell.com), the final 25 drivers were chosen.
“Our third year for the Jetta TDI Cup is already shaping up to be the best one yet,” said Clark Campbell, Motorsport Manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “We were given the extremely difficult task of selecting only 25 drivers from a such diverse group of individuals who, honestly, all deserve the chance to compete. With 18 new drivers and 7 more returning from last season, the field is undoubtedly set for top-notch competition and racing excitement.”
Drivers will race in ten Jetta TDI Cup events spanning seven road courses in the United States and Mexico in identical, factory-prepared and maintained Jetta TDIs running on clean diesel fuel. The series Champion will win $100,000 toward career development support from Volkswagen, while every driver who competes in the series will earn a Pro Racing license from SCCA at the finish of the season.
The Jetta TDI Cup racecar is powered by a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine mated to a six-speed, Direct Shift Gearbox® (DSG®) dual-clutch automatic transmission. The car is only slightly modified from stock through the addition of race tires, suspension, brakes, and safety equipment.
2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Schedule
Round 1 & 2 April 23 – 25 Virginia International Raceway (Alton, VA)
Round 3 May 9 New Jersey Motorsports Park (Millville, NJ)
Round 4 June 5 – 6 Miller Motorsports Park (Tooele, UT)
Round 5 July 18 – 20 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Lexington, OH)
Round 6 July 30 – Aug. 1 Autobahn Country Club (Joliet, IL)
Round 7 & 8 Aug. 20 – 22 Road America (Elkhart Lake, WI)
Round 9 & 10 Sept. 24 – 26 Autodromo AMOZOC (Puebla, Mexico)
To learn more about the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup, visit www.volkswagenjettacup.com.
Volkswagen Makes Motorsports History as It Claims First and Second Place of the 2009 Dakar Rally
Volkswagen first automobile manufacturer to win Dakar Rally with diesel power
Volkswagen made motorsport history by winning the 2009 Dakar Rally with its clean diesel powered Race Touareg TDI’s. This year’s Dakar Rally, which made its debut in South America, marked the first victory ever for a diesel-powered vehicle in the automobile class in the Rally’s thirty year history. Volkswagen factory driver and off-road motorsport veteran, Mark Miller, also made history as the highest finishing American that has ever raced in the Dakar Rally.
The 2009 Dakar Rally was won by the Volkswagen Factory driving team of South African-German duo Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz, while their Volkswagen team mates Mark Miller and Ralph Pitchford finished the rally in second place.
“It was just an incredible result for the Volkswagen team this year, with Giniel and Dirk taking the historic first diesel-powered win,” said Clark Campbell, Volkswagen of America Motorsport Manager. “All of us here at Volkswagen of America are also especially proud of Mark and Ralph’s tremendous finish this year as well. Mark is a key person in our Motorsport efforts here in North America, and his finish as the highest American driver ever to race the Dakar is a testament to his driving skills, physical and mental fitness, and his passion for off-road racing. His result in this year’s Dakar further demonstrates his consistency and ability to finish on the podium in these grueling off-road races.”
For the first time in its thirty year history the Dakar Rally made its debut in South America. The more than 9,000 kilometer course was one of toughest and most challenging in the storied history of the Rally. The course started and finished in Buenos Aires, Argentina and traveled through Argentina and Chile on terrain that included everything from some of the highest sand dune fields on earth, extreme passages through water, and hard stony ground to traversing the Andes Mountains. If the terrain wasn’t challenging enough, the Volkswagen Motorsport team also had to combat temperature extremes that ranged from 104 degrees Fahrenheit to below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
The clean diesel Race Touareg 2 TDI’s are powered by a five-cylinder turbo-charged diesel engine that produces 280 horsepower and approximately 440 lbs.ft. of torque. The cross-country rally prototype was developed and engineered to master the challenges of the Dakar Rally. Volkswagen’s Touareg 2 is known around the world as one of the most tenacious sport utility vehicles available on the market, and the Race version takes it to the next level. U.S. consumers can look forward to a six-cylinder clean diesel TDI version of the Touareg 2 to hit dealer showrooms this Spring.
Source: Volkswagen of America, Inc.