Press Releases
04 September 2009
Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Championship Hunt Heats Up at New Jersey Motorsports Park
Megenbier looks to clinch series Championship during double-race weekend
Race Information:
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup – Rounds 8 & 9
Circuit: New Jersey Motorsports Park – Millville, New Jersey (14 turns, 2.225 miles)
Date/Time: Practice / Qualifying (Round 8) / Qualifying (Round 9) – Friday, September 11 at 10:15 am / 1:25 pm / 3:30 pm (all times Eastern)
Race #1 (Round 8) – Saturday, September 12 at 3:30 pm
Race #2 (Round 9) – Sunday, September 13 at 10:55 am
Race Length: 30 minutes
What sets the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup apart from other racing series?
- The Jetta TDI Cup is the only clean diesel racing series in North America, and Volkswagen is the only auto manufacturer participating in motorsports full time with diesel-powered cars in North America.
- Unlike most racing products, the Jetta TDI Cup is the ultimate display of fuel efficiency. During the race weekend, the racecars will consume approximately four gallons of Syndiesel® B5 biodiesel blend. Over the course of the season, the racecars will consume only two tanks of fuel during races. In comparison, most traditional, gasoline powered racecars get between 2-5 mpg.
- The improved fuel economy is accomplished through the use of Volkswagen's TDI (turbo direct injection) engine technology, which improves fuel economy over gasoline engines and reduces sooty emissions by 95 percent, even under demanding race conditions.
- The Jetta TDI Cup features a product that consumers can buy at their local dealerships.
- The racecars are maintained by Volkswagen, which creates a level playing field for all drivers.
News & Notes:
New Jersey preview
The 24 drivers competing in the SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup have been traveling familiar territory as of late. Starting with the most recent race at Mosport International Raceway, the final three events are on circuits that the series visited in 2008.
The Jetta TDI Cup made its first visit to New Jersey Motorsports Park for a doubleheader weekend during its inaugural season last year. The races were won by David Jurca and Liam Kenny who have moved on in other motorsports pursuits. With their absence, the drivers will be hungry for victory in the series' trip to the 14-turn, 2.225-mile road course.
Last weekend, the Jetta TDI Cup traveled north of the U.S. border to visit Canada's Mosport International Raceway. The elements played part in all of the weekend's action, as the drivers encountered rain, fog and even a little sun. Despite the added challenges, it was series veteran Mark Pombo who dominated at Mosport and became the fifth different race winner this season after topping the speed charts in practice, qualifying and leading all 17 laps of the race. The win was Pombo's first victory of the season, his second career series win, and it moved him into fourth place in the points standings. Current series points leader, Timmy Megenbier increased his Championship lead to 39 points with a second-place finish, while Ontario's Andrew Cordeiro came in third on his home track.
"Mosport was the kind of race that I've been looking for all year," Pombo said. "I knew that I've had the pace to win in nearly every race, but it seems that I kept running into some unlucky situations along the way. My only regret is that this win didn't come sooner because I now have quite a deficit to make up in the points standings. It's not over though. I've learned that anything can happen in racing, but I definitely need a little help to make the necessary gains. I'm prepared to put my head down and go for it during the last three races. It's time to go for broke."
Eight drivers from last season have returned in attempt to capture the series title that carries not only a cash prize but also promise of career advancement. Last year's first and second-place finishers in the Championship both moved on to more advanced series for 2009. The 2008 champion, Josh Hurley is competing in the Grand Am Koni Challenge series, while the series' runner up is competing in the Formula ADAC Masters powered by Volkswagen series in Europe. With three races left in the season, Megenbier hopes that he can maintain his consistency and wrap up the title in New Jersey. So far this season, the series veteran has three wins, six podium appearances, two poles and has led 41 laps (42 percent of all laps this season).
"Wins at New Jersey would be great, but I realize that in order to maximize my chances at winning the Championship, I just need to finish up front and get as many points as possible," Megenbier said. "I need to avoid putting myself in positions that would possibly cause me to damage my car, and I've done a pretty good job at that so far this year. At this point, I just need to stay focused on the mental part, and the rest should fall into place. Having experience at New Jersey from last year should help me. I won my only pole of the season there last year, so I have a good idea of what it takes to be fast. If I'm able to walk away from the second race with a 61-point lead, the Championship will be mine."
Of the eight drivers who competed in the series' races last year at New Jersey Motorsports Park, four of them turned in top-10 finishes including Pombo (sixth / sixth), Megenbier (19th / seventh), Derek Jones (26th / fifth) and Taylor Broekemeier (12th / ninth). Megenbier also captured the pole position in the second race and led a lap early on before falling back to seventh at the finish.
Philadelphia native eager to return to New Jersey Motorsports Park
When the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park, series veteran, Derek Jones won't have to hop on the usual airplane to travel to the race. He'll have the luxury of getting behind the wheel of his 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit and cruising down the New Jersey Highway from his home in Philadelphia.
In 2008, he scored one podium and two top-five finishes, including a fifth-place finish in the second race in New Jersey. This season, Jones is currently 10th in the Championship standings on the strength of five top-10 finishes. His best finish of fifth came at the second race of the season at VIRginia International Raceway.
"It's been a bit of a rocky season for me so far," Jones said. "I've been consistent with finishing in the top third of the field, but I feel like I should be farther forward. I'm hurting myself in qualifying and giving up too many starting positions. However, I hope to turn things around at New Jersey. It's a fast, cut-throat track, and these kinds of circuits seem to suit me best. My goal is to put on a good show for my family and friends that will be at the track to watch me. Hopefully, they'll be able to cheer for me as I step onto the podium."
Jones began his racing career in karting at age eight and has since progressed into SCCA Spec Miata and Historic Formula One racing. He also is the executive director of Atelier Storage, an art and antique storage facility in the heart of Philadelphia.
There's green racing, and there's the Jetta TDI Cup – Truly green racing
In the past, racing and environmentally-friendly cars haven't gone hand in hand. However, Volkswagen changed the game in 2008 with the introduction of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, featuring the mostly-stock, clean diesel Jetta TDI. Performance testing proves that diesel-powered vehicles offer more low-end torque than traditional gasoline engines, providing quicker off-the-line acceleration that's well suited for the race track. In addition, the Jetta TDI engine's use of a "common rail" direct injection system improves fuel economy over gasoline engines and reduces sooty emissions by 95 percent, even under demanding race conditions.
To take environmental responsibility one step further, the Jetta TDI Cup is using a Syndiesel® B5 biodiesel blend provided by Houston-based HYPERFUELS to power its racecars and B20 biodiesel blends for its transport vehicles and generators. Syndiesel B5 is a blend of 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent synthetic diesel fuel. The SynDiesel B5 provides a winning combination of benefits, offering the highest cetane rating of any diesel fuel on the market today and 20 percent more BTUs than conventional diesel. The added benefits of this type of fuel also include increased lubricity and significantly-reduced emissions from the domestically-produced, renewable biodiesel component. During the 2009 season, the Jetta TDI Cup racecars will consume approximately two tanks of blended biodiesel during race conditions, and overall carbon emissions produced by the series will be reduced by 33,760 pounds as a result of the new fuels.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the Jetta TDI at an economical 30 mpg City and 41 mpg Highway. Volkswagen went a step further to evaluate the real world fuel economy of the Jetta TDI. A leading third-party certifier tested the Jetta TDI and found it performed 24 percent better in real world conditions, achieving 38 mpg in the city and 44 mpg on the highway. While the Jetta TDI Cup racecar has been modified slightly from the consumer version, the cars still achieve more than 20 mpg on the racetrack where they're being pushed to the limit. In comparison, most racecars achieve less than 10 mpg.
The Jetta TDI's fuel efficiency combined with its environmentally-friendly emissions rating have earned the model the Smart Way designation from the EPA. The EPA created the Smart Way program to help consumers identify the cleanest, most fuel-efficient vehicles available. In addition, the 2009 Jetta TDI clean diesel was recently named the "Green Car of the Year®" by Green Car Journal.
Three ways to qualify for the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup
The 2009 SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup is entering the final races of its second season, and series organizers have begun looking ahead to the 2010 edition of the only clean diesel racing series in the United States. There are three paths that interested drivers can follow in order to get behind the wheel next season:
- Online application – Applicants can visit www.vwmotorsportusa.com for an online application. On the site, candidates can submit their amateur racing resumes and other details about their past experience. Series officials will then select candidates from these applications to participate in the driver selection program. All applications must be submitted along with the series entry fee of $45,000 by December 11, 2009. The entry fee will be fully refunded to those not chosen as a 2010 series driver.
- iRacing.com Jetta TDI Cup online racing season – In conjunction with iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations, Volkswagen has created an online racing experience unlike any other. The Jetta TDI Cup series car has joined the list of racecars offered on iRacing.com, and iRacing has launched an online version of the series. The iRacing.com Jetta TDI Cup series participants will be battling to earn their way into the 2010 final driver selection event. The top iRacing.com driver to earn a position in the 2010 series will be awarded their season entry fee and will drive the iRacing.com car. More information is available at www.iracing.com.
- Karting qualifier competitions – Earlier this summer, the series began hosting standalone karting competitions at Boston's F1 Outdoor karting facility. The top finishers from each event will move on and compete in the final driver selection event. Like the iRacing.com winner, the top-rated karting qualifier driver to earn a spot in the 2010 series will receive a fully-funded ride. Information on the karting qualifier events is available at www.volkswagenjettacup.com.
Points standings after seven races
Position/Driver Name/Hometown/Points
1 Timmy Megenbier, Melrose Park, IL – 266
2 Andy Lee, Maricopa, AZ – 227
3 Joey Atterbury(R), Renton, WA – 223
4 Mark Pombo, Duluth, GA – 192
5 Jake Thompson(R), Calgary, Alberta – 191
6 AJ Nealey(R), Edgewater, MD – 165
7 Taylor Broekemeier, Ft. Collins, CO – 159
8 Andrew Cordeiro, Woodbridge, Ontario – 150
9 Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle, Puebla, Mexico – 150
10 Derek Jones, Philadelphia, PA – 142
11 Nicky Boulle(R), Dallas, TX – 126
12 JD Mobley(R), Castle Rock, CO – 118
13 Ryan Ellis(R), Ashburn, VA – 109
14 Andrew Novich(R), Novato, CA – 81
15 Devin Cates(R), Broad Run, VA – 78
16 Donny Warren(R), Winchester, VA – 71
17 Perry Richardson(R), Los Gatos, CA – 53
18 Juan Pablo Delgado(R), Orizaba, Vericruz, Mexico – 38
19 David Richert, Niverville, Manitoba – 37
20 Eric Morse(R), Pittsburgh, PA – 25
21 Rhett Tucker(R), Cumming, GA – 24
22 Theresa Condict(R), Lexington, MA – 18
24 Kerstin Smutny(R), Bothell, WA – 15
23 Kyle Wharff(R), Miramar, FL – 13
25 Andrew Gun Tucker(R), McDonough, GA – 2
(R) – Jetta TDI Cup Rookie Driver
About the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup
The 2009 season marks the second year of competition for the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, which is sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing. During the season, young, up and coming drivers (between ages 16-26) will compete in 10 events on eight road courses around North America in identical, factory-prepared clean diesel Jetta TDI's powered by Syndiesel® B5 blended biodiesel fuel. Each driver competing in the series will earn a Pro Racing license from SCCA at the conclusion of the season. In addition to more than $50,000 in prize money at stake during the season, the series champion will win $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, race suspension and brake components, driver's racing safety seat, FIA roll cage and an on-board fire extinguisher system. Series sponsors include: Pirelli, Bosch, ViON, Castrol, Oakley, Red Bull, HYPERFUELS, Aggreko, defNder, Lamin-X, Meguiar's, Sherwin-Williams, Chicagoland VW, Safety-Kleen, Ringer Gloves, Jim Russell Racing School and Trellis Earth.
Follow the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series action on:
- www.vwmotorsportusa.com
- www.tditruthanddare.com
- SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Live Timing & Scoring:
- http://www.livetiming.net/SCCA/VW/livetiming.asp
- Volkswagen Online Newsroom: media.vw.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VWJettaTDICup
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/VWJettaTDICup
Volkswagen of America, Inc.
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 Eos, Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, Tiguan and Touareg 2 through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2009 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 vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.
SCCA Pro Racing
A wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., SCCA Pro Racing Ltd. 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 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.
MEDIA CONTACT: Adam Hoover
Office: (440) 540-4670 / Mobile: (440) 258-2462
ahoover@automotive-events.com
