VW Jetta: Richert earns drive in Germany

David Richert Wins Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Media Competition; Earns Drive in Germany

HERNDON, Va. (Oct. 8, 2008) -- David Richert, of Niverville, Manitoba, Canada, won the first Jetta TDI Cup Media Contest by securing more media coverage then any of the other 29 drivers in the clean diesel series. This result was made even more significant by the fact that Richert, 26, completed the season ranked 25th, but managed to parlay his media efforts into enough coverage to secure him a trip to Germany to drive in a race of the ADAC Polo Cup, the same prize awarded to the series points champion Josh Hurley.

"It has been an honor to represent the Volkswagen brand and promote clean diesel throughout the race season," said Richert. "As drivers, what we do off the race track is often more important than what we do on the track. Winning the VW Media Contest and earning the opportunity to race at Hockenheim is a huge boost for my racing career. I applaud Volkswagen for creating this initiative and providing us with the necessary tools to succeed."

Designed to teach drivers the importance of media exposure to their racing careers, the Jetta TDI Cup Media Contest encouraged the building of relationships with key members of the media, especially in the drivers' home towns. In order for the media activity to be counted in the contest, drivers were required to develop story ideas, pitch media, track and submit all forms of media throughout the series.

As a local farmer with a dream to race cars, Richert generated enough interest within his home town and surrounding areas, that he was asked to help the mayor of Winnipeg unveil new city signs earlier this year. He also made a visit to a children's hospital in Connecticut, and threw out the first pitch in a minor league baseball game. The relationships he formed with his local media led to multiple radio interviews, television appearances and continuous coverage in his local papers.

To receive more information, or register for the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup season, interested participants between the ages of 16-26 can visit vw.com to sign up to receive more information.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series is an innovative approach to motorsports -- 30 factory-prepared and managed 2009 clean-diesel Jetta TDIs will be piloted by talented, up-and-coming drivers, aged 16 to 26. Volkswagen's goal is to find the driver with the most talent and help them break into the world of professional motorsports. The Jetta TDI Cup series, the first all clean-diesel race series, is sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing Inc. Sponsors for the race include: Aggreko, Athlete's Performance, Bondurant, Bosch, ful®, Holder, Hoopla, Ironclad, Kyosho, Oakley, RedBull, UTI and ViON.

Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Volkswagen of America, Inc. recently announced Electronic Stability Program (ESP) as standard equipment on all its 2009 vehicles. As a result, Volkswagen is one of the only original equipment manufacturers to offer an electronic stability control system on their entire product line -- ahead of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) deadline requiring vehicles in the 2012 model year to include stability control systems. Volkswagen's ESP technology works in conjunction with anti-lock brakes and helps reduce loss of control and rollovers to avoid crashes. NHTSA predicts nearly 10,000 lives could be saved each year if automakers included stability systems as standard equipment.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Va. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GLI, Passat, Passat Wagon, Eos, Routan, Tiguan and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com.

SCCA Pro Racing

A wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., SCCA Pro Racing Ltd. is a leading sanctioning body for motor sports events in the United States. A member of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), SCCA Pro Racing operates and sanctions the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Championships, the SCCA Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, as well as provides sanctioning and various operational services for other racing series. For more information, please visit www.sccapro.com.

-Credit: Volkswagen of America, Inc.