Volkswagen newsletter 2009-05-17

Formula 3 Euro Series
Successful season opener for Volkswagen: Vernay wins at Hockenheim

Jean Karl Vernay from the Signature team celebrated his first victory at the Formula 3 Euro Series season opener at Hockenheim. After his sixth-place finish on Saturday, the Frenchman now ranks in second place overall, closely trailed by his team colleague Mika Maki, who clinched two fourth places at the Motodrom in Hockenheim. The newly founded Volkswagen partner team Kolles & Heinz Union delivered a good inaugural performance with two eleventh-place finishes by Red Bull Junior Robert Wickens. Volkswagen's start to the Formula 3 season was extremely successful: In the eight races of the Euro Series, the British championship and the German cup contested so far, drivers with Volkswagen engines clinched six wins.

ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup
Maciek Steinhof wins opening race

The Pole Maciek Steinhof won the ultra-competitive ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup opening race at Hockenheim. In a nail-biting fight for victory between three rivals, Steinhof prevailed against the Austrian Matthias Gamauf and pole sitter Elia Erhart from Nuremberg. Marcus Fluch from Sweden and Felix Tigges (Germany) occupied places four and five. Guest entrant Freddie Hunt, son of the former Formula 1 World Champion James Hunt, finished eighth and thus clinched a remarkable result as well.

Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup
Timmy Megenbier triumphs at Salt Lake City

The third round of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup in the USA saw the American Timmy Megenbier as the winner. At the first visit of the diesel one-make cup at Miller Motorsport Park near Salt Lake City, Megenbier had started to the race from position two on the grid. In the end, he finished the race with a clear lead ahead of "rookie" Jake Thompson from Canada, who had started from the pole position."

24-hour race Nurburgring
Volkswagen is ready to race - Patrick Simon completes drivers line-up

The Volkswagen team for the 24-hour race on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife is "ready to race": Last week, the fifth Scirocco GT24 completed a final functional test. Volkswagen is fielding two sport coupes with natural gas and three with petrol engines at the endurance classic in the Eifel region. The drivers line-up is complete as well: Nordschleife expert Patrick Simon stands in for "Dakar" winner Giniel de Villiers (ZA), wo is currently recovering from back surgery. The 33-year-old Simon shares a Scirocco GT24 with Carlos Sainz (E), Dieter Depping (D) and Wolfgang Kaufmann (D).

Coming up next...

21 -- 24 May
24-hour race at the Nurburgring (D)

21 -- 23 May
3rd and 4th round, ATS Formula 3 Cup at the Nurburgring (D)

21 -- 23 May
5th and 6th round, ADAC Formula Masters at the Nurburgring (D)

22 -- 23 May
3rd and 4th round, STCC at Karlskoga (S)

22 -- 23 May
3rd and 4th round, JTCC at Karlskoga (S)

-credit: vw