VW Jetta: Liam Kenney Mosport preview

Confident Kenney Heading to Canada

Sterling, Virginia (May 14, 2008) -- Canada's Mosport International Raceway plays host to Round 2 of the inaugural Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Series this weekend, Friday 16th -- Sunday 18th May, with Sterling's Liam Kenney crossing the border determined to build on what was a promising debut in last month's opening round at the Virginia International Raceway.

The 16-year-old racer quickly earmarked himself as one to watch on that occasion powering his 2009-specification clean diesel Jetta from ninth on the grid through to the lead. Unfortunately for Liam his time at the head of the 29-car pack proved to be fleeting as he was unceremoniously dumped out of the race following contact from behind. Despite being denied a maiden victory, Kenney, racing against some well respected and seasoned competition -- the age range in the series set at 16 to 26, was happy with his saloon car debut after two stand-out seasons competing in the open-wheel Formula TR Pro Series where he recorded four wins from 24 podium finishes.

With his first VW Jetta TDI Cup start under his belt, this weekend's Canadian race meeting, hosted at the 4km Mosport International Raceway - situated about an hour's drive from Toronto, offers Kenney another opportunity to prove he's a fast learner with just thirty minutes of practice on offer before qualifying for Sunday's second round. Having previously raced karts competitively in Canada, Liam's trip north of the border this time out, piloting the #35 ViON/Allsports Grand Prix/Speed Secrets entry, heralds his first race car start outside of his native United States.

"I'm feeling pretty confident heading into the Mosport weekend," stated Kenney before his departure. "It's important to try and qualify well but I also know how to race and I think I demonstrated that in Virginia last month working my way through to the lead. Obviously the end result there wasn't what I'd hoped for but I proved I can do this. I'm excited to be competing at Mosport, the track looks very fast with lots of elevation change. The Jetta's going to have to be right on the edge to get the most out of it and I can't wait to test myself in that environment.

"Volkswagen has done a phenomenal job with the Jetta. It's capable of going straight out on track and banging in a flying lap. Tire preservation is definitely key to a successful weekend as we only get six tires, it's important that we don't over work them anywhere and try to maintain a neutral balance. The biggest challenge in racing this car is to make it hook up on the high speed corners as you fight the weight of the car. I think Mosport will provide a real test with all the bumps and dips we're going to face but it's a very nimble car. This is still a learning experience for me but I certainly learned a lot at the first race in Virginia and I've no doubt it'll be more of the same up in Canada!"

Liam's first taste of Mosport comes on Saturday morning at 10:30am EST with a 30-minute practice session followed at 2:50pm EST with the 30-minute qualifying outing. Round 2's 30-minute race gets underway at 11:55am EST on Sunday 18th May -- www.mosport.com

-credit: www.liamkenney.com