TDI Cup Rounds 9 & 10 Preview – Mexico
Posted to News by jakethompson on Sep.21, 2010
Tomorrow morning at 7:30am I head to Mexico, beginning my final weekend in the TDI Cup. It has been one heck of ride over the last 2 years, and what better way to end it then in Mexico, in front of an expected 40,000 fans with the championship on the lin. With any luck, I’ll be able to forget about the pressure and actually remember to enjoy this one, because who knows when I will get the chance to do a race this cool again. If I can find a way to squeeze out a victory in one of the two races, I’ll be the first person to win 4 TDI Cup races, which would be a pretty cool stat considering everything that this series has meant to me.
Autodromo AMOZOC (click for wikipedia page)
Of course the elephant in the room is the championship battle. There are still 6 of us with a good chance of the title and the points stack up as follows: 1. Jarvis Gennari (267) 2. Wyatt Gooden (246) 3. Jake Thompson (242) 4. Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle (234) 5. JD Mobley (223) 6. Arie Ouimet (220). As you can see I have 25 points to make up, but with 120 still available it is definitely achievable. In fact, it is basically anyone’s game, because it will likely take a pair of wins, or at least a win and another podium, just to beat all of the other guys still in contention, and because you get so many points for a win, it actually makes Jarvis’ advantage pretty small. I’m predicting right now, that whoever has the best weekend out of the 6 of us left in the title fight, will walk away the 2010 TDI Cup Champion.
I will have some help with me this weekend, as my #19 car is going to be sporting the names of many of my family and closest friends. Racing for the Right To Play has been a huge success, with over 20 different people contributing to the program, each of whom will have their name on the race car this weekend. All told we have already raised over $10,000 for Right To Play, with the potential to raise a few thousand more this weekend. I have the decals for the car already printed and it is going to look awesome, so I can’t wait to get a photo up here on Thursday night.
Photoshop mock-up with all of our Right To Play supporters on the hood!
Racing in Mexico is going to be very cool as Volkswagen Mexico is really rolling out the proverbial red carpet for us. The AMOZOC race track is located just minutes from the VW factory where all of the Jetta’s in North America are made. We have a factory tour scheduled for during the weekend, which will be very cool, and a black tie banquet at the end of the races Sunday. Not only that, but free tickets have been given out to all of the employees of the plant, so they are expecting up to 40,000 screaming fans. As you can see from the schedule below we are the feature show (with Mex. Porsche SuperCup, and another series as the undercard), so it will be awesome to finally be racing in the middle of the day instead of early morning, or in the evening.
All in all I am super excited, so make sure to check back all weekend. I will do my best to have a report and photo’s up every night, and will be updating my twitter account (twitter.com/jakethompson19) from the track (cell phone service permitting). The full Volkswagen preview is below, as well as weekend schedule and a link to live timing.
SCHEDULE
Practice: Friday September 24th, 2010 – 9:50AM (CST)
Qualifying 1: Friday September 24th, 2010 – 1:20PM (CST)
Qualifying 2: Saturday September 25th, 2010 – 9:00AM (CST)
Race 1: Saturday September 25th, 2010 – 1:25PM (CST)
Race 2: Sunday September 26th, 2010 – 1:25PM (CST)
All Times Central
Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Prepares for
2010 Season Finale in Mexico
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Championship Comes Down to Final Two Races
Race Information
2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup – Rounds 9 & 10
Circuit: Puebla, Mexico – Autódromo Internacional Miguel E. Abed (16 turns, 2.09 miles)
Date/Time: Practice – Friday, September 24th at 9:50 am CT
Qualifying – Session 1 – Friday, September 24th at 1:20 pm CT
Session 2 – Saturday, September 25th at 9:00 am CT
Races – Round 7 – Saturday, September 25th at 1:25 pm CT
Round 8 – Sunday, September 26th at 1:25 pm CT
Race Length: 30 minutes
About the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup
The SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup was launched in 2008 as way to introduce clean diesel technology to the U.S. market and develop the best of motorsport’s up-and-coming talent. During the season, young, up and coming drivers (between ages 16-26) compete on road courses around North America in identical factory-prepared clean diesel powered Jetta TDI’s. Each driver competing in the Series earns a professional racing license from SCCA Pro Racing at the conclusion of the season. 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.
The Jetta TDI Cup car is powered by a 2.0-liter, 170 hp, four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine mated to a six-speed, double-clutch, automatic DSG transmission. The car is only slightly modified from stock with Pirelli racing tires, an on-board Race Data system, race suspension and brake components, drivers racing safety seat, FIA roll cage and an on-board fire extinguisher system. Series sponsors include: Pirelli, Bosch, ViON, Castrol, Oakley, Red Bull, Staubli, Aggreko, defNder, Lamin-X, Volkswagen Driver Gear, Volkswagen Parts & Service, iRacing, Safety-Kleen and Ringer Gloves.
What sets the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup apart from other racing series?
· The Series is the only clean diesel racing series in the United States, and Volkswagen is the only auto manufacturer participating in motorsports full time with diesel powered cars in North America.
· The TDI engine technology improves fuel economy over gasoline engines and reduces sooty emissions by 95 percent, even under demanding race conditions. The Series will consume approximately two tanks of fuel during its ten races this season.
· The Jetta TDI Cup features a vehicle similar to what consumers can buy at their local Volkswagen dealerships.
· Cars are maintained by Volkswagen of America, which creates a level playing field for all drivers.
News & Notes:
Volkswagen Motorsports Manager, Campbell, on the 2010 Season
“We’ve had an impressive season thus far and I think the final two rounds will prove to be an exciting conclusion to a successful year,” said Clark Campbell, Motorsports Manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “We have rookies sitting in first and second in the Championship hunt and we have at least six drivers overall with a real shot at winning the Series title. This year, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup has seen closer competition than ever before and our goal of developing young, up-and-coming talent is certainly coming to fruition. All of the racecars used this season were produced at the Volkswagen factory in Puebla, so it’s definitely fitting that the city will host the Jetta TDI Cup’s debut in Mexico. I’m looking forward to seeing how the points battle will play out and I can’t think of a more ideal venue to host the finale, as it will provide a great way to highlight the Series, as well as the benefits of clean diesel technology.”
Racecars Return Home
Autódromo Internacional Miguel E. Abed is located in the town of Amozoc, less than 20 miles east of the city of Puebla, Mexico. The circuit opened in 2005 and has become one of Mexico’s premier racing facilities. Autódromo Internacional Miguel E. Abed houses a road course as well as a 1.25-mile oval.
In addition, Puebla is home to the Volkswagen factory at which the racecars competing in the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Series are produced. The 14,000-employee plant, one of 62 Volkswagen facilities in the world, serves as the sole supplier to the United States for different Volkswagen models including the New Beetle, New Beetle Convertible, and the All New 2011Jetta. Since opening its doors in 1964, the Puebla the facility has produced nearly 8 million vehicles.
Inaugural Event in Puebla
Next weekend, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup will be making its inaugural visit to Autódromo Internacional Miguel E. Abed, marking the first time in 2010 that the Series will visit a track at which it has not previously competed. Needless to say, it will be a learning experience for all of the drivers as the Series veterans will not have the advantage of past track experience. Talk with some of the drivers, both veterans and rookies, to see how they approach an unfamiliar track and what their game plan will be throughout the weekend.
Down to the Wire
There are just two races left in the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup and rest assured, the title will come down to the final lap next weekend. Series rookie, Jarvis Gennari, heads to Mexico as the current points leader (267 points) after earning back-to-back wins in Rounds Seven & Eight three weeks ago at Road America. Just behind him with 246 points is another rookie, Wyatt Gooden, who led the standings after Round Six. Jake Thompson sits in third, with 242 points and Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle is in fourth place with 234 points. After leading the Championship after Rounds Three through Five, Sierra Lendle has dropped back in the points battle, but with one win and three top-five finishes under his belt this season, he’s definitely not out of the running. JD Mobley and rookie Arie Ouimet are fifth and sixth in the Championship with 223 and 220 points respectively, and with 60 points available for a win; they could be right back in it as the season draws to a close. With six drivers within 50 points of the points lead, it’s anyone’s guess who will walk away with the title next Sunday.
Virginia Tech students earn their racing stripes with the Jetta TDI Cup
There’s no better experience than on-the-job training, which is why nearly 20 engineering students from Virginia Tech University are taking part in the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup season. The Volkswagen Motorsports Jetta TDI Cup program allows Virginia Tech students interested in pursuing a career in motorsports an opportunity to experience it first-hand. The students provide technical support at Volkswagen’s race shop at VIR and on the road at the Series’ ten race events. During the season, up to fifteen students will travel to each race and work alongside the Series technicians getting hands-on experience with every aspect of motorsports from changing tires to downloading data.
The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup program is an ideal way for students interested in a career in motorsports to learn about the industry and it provides them with the advantage of real-world experience before they enter the workplace.
Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Point Standings (Through Eight Rounds)
Driver Points
1. Jarvis Gennari (R) 267
2. Wyatt Gooden (R) 246
3. Jake Thompson 242
4. Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle 234
5. JD Mobley 223
6. Arie Ouimet (R) 220
7. Kevin Gleason (R) 188
8. Ryan Ellis 176
9. AJ Nealey 157
10. Taylor Broekemeier 129
11. Chris Wehrheim 123
12. Michael Hogg (R) 118
13. Nate Norenberg (R) 115
14. JJ Tomlinson (R) 115
15. Andrew Cordeiro 96
16. Juan Pablo Delgado 81
17. Rafael Navarro IV (R) 81
18. Andrew Novich 68
19. Mike Mineo-Nardacci (R) 54
20. Brian Whitmire (R) 51
21. Taylor Tzouanakis (R) 50
22. Colin Thompson (R) 47
23. AJ Severino (R) 21
24. Jenna Wagner (R) 8
25. Justine Jackson (R) 6
Follow the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series action on:
www.vwmotorsportusa.com
Volkswagen Online Newsroom: media.vw.com
Live Timing & Scoring: http://livetiming.net/scca/VW
Live Timing & Scoring for your Mobile Device: http://livetiming.net/SCCA/VW/html.asp
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/JettaTDICup
Twitter: http://twitter.com/VWJettaTDICup
About Volkswagen of America:
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. 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 Golf, GTI, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Eos, Passat, Passat Wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2010 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.
About SCCA Pro Racing:
A wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., SCCA Pro Racing Inc. is a leading sanctioning body for motorsports events in the United States. A member of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), SCCA Pro Racing operates and sanctions the World Challenge Championships, the SCCA Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup, SCCA Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, SCCA Pro Trans-Am Series, Spec Racer Ford Pro Series and Formula Enterprises Pro Series. For more information, please visit www.sccapro.com.
