VOLKSWAGEN ENGEN CUP SERIES KICKS OFF

THE popular single-make Engen Volkswagen Cup series kicks off its national 2013 season at Kyalami on Saturday, 23 February. The field of Volkswagen Polo Vivo race cars will again be the biggest field competing in the Super Series.

Three of the series' top competitors will not make the start line this year – because each is racing overseas. The 2012 champion, Kelvin van der Linde who claimed the title behind the wheel of the Ferodo entry and Jordan Pepper who contested a PG Glass Polo Vivo are both competing in the Scirocco R-Cup in Europe while Kyle Barnes who raced the Gold Liberations / Conti Partner Vivo tackles the Carrera Cup in the UK.

“Engen Volkswagen Cup has a reputation for being a tough series to race, but also as an invaluable learning experience and a breeding ground for future champions,” says Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport. “To have three drivers competing internationally this year shows just how much talent we have in South Africa – and how many talented young drivers there are in this one series.”

One competitor who will find out first-hand just how tough competition in the Engen Volkswagen Cup series is, is motoring journalist Jesse Adams. Adams, a journalist for The Star, will contest the first three rounds of the 2013 season as a guest driver. The first of several guest racers in the series this year.

In true one-make racing style, the field for competition in Engen Volkswagen Cup is as level as possible with each driver having to rely on their own talent, ability, experience and willingness to take risks determining the outcome. This recipe has created the brand of racing that Engen Volkswagen Cup and has become known – and loved – for.

Racers are not shy about getting in close, trading a bit of paint or treating side mirrors as consumable parts in their chase to get to the sharp end of the field. A change for the new season will see competitors in this series racing with the addition of power steering. This should make controlling the cars just that little bit easier, but no less exciting.

With more than 30 cars entered for the 2013 season each track will be a crowded and action-packed experience. Two races await at the opening round at Kyalami, and both of these are expected to be crowd-pleasers as the drivers get back into the action and stretch their racing muscles.

STORY BY VOLKSWAGEN