Safe, fast and reliable - these three attributes ranked at the very top of the Racing Polo's development specifications.

The carefully conducted continuous development has resulted in a production-based, 130 ps race touring car that can also be controlled by rookies and offers all contenders the chance to prove their driving skills. "The Racing Polo meets high demands. It has to assure first-class safety standards, deliver dynamic handling properties and prove its robustness even in turbulent races," emphasizes Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "For young talent, the Cup Polo provides the ideal basis to learn the basics of professional touring car sport."

"For young talented Indians it is the first stepping stone into world of professional motor racing" emphasizes Volkswagen India Motorsport head Prithviraj Siddappa.

First career step for touring car youngsters

Learning at racing speed: The Volkswagen Polo Cup India makes it easier for young drivers to enter professional racing and offers a unique talent promotion system as well as a grand stage on which to demonstrate their skills. In 2009 ADAC Polo Cup in Germnay, 25 youngsters set out to use this unrivalled opportunity of making a showing at the popular DTM weekends. Former "alumni" of the so-called touring car school have ascended to the DTM, the FIA World Touring Car Championship or sportscar series after starting their careers in the Polo Cup.

The young talents contesting the popular Volkswagen one-make cup are perfectly prepared for moving up into higher motorsport categories. The Polo Cup car is a 130 ps racing version of the Volkswagen Polo. To ensure maximum equality of opportunity, the cars are centrally prepared in the Volkswagen Factory at Chakan Pune by highly trained race mechanics. Thanks to professional data logging and analysis the talented youngsters have the chance to check their own performances, compare them with those of other drivers, and to efficiently improve. In addition to technical training courses, the coaching programme, which includes an introduction into data analysis, classes on tyres focused on the JK tyres used in the cup as well as setup work, encompasses media training, a fitness camp and a pre-season basic training course at which the young racers work on fine-tuning their skills for the new season.

20 talents from all parts of India

Volkswagen India Motorsport along with JK tyres racing will conduct number of driver selection camps starting from February 2010 in all parts of India. Out of the numerous applicants, driving camps would be organized in Kolhapur and Coimbatore racing tracks to select the best talented 20 drivers for the 2010 season. The driving camp dates would be updated on the website and informed to the applicants via email and phone.

Showing skills in a professional environment

All of them want to use this first-class stage which the Volkswagen Polo Cup as a JK Tyres national championship partner series offers them. In addition to high spectator and media interest, the touring car "students" can be sure to attract close attention by sponsors and promoters and have the chance to recommend themselves for an ascent to higher classes or for one of the limited slots in the "student exchange" programme.

The idea behind Volkswagen Polo Cup is to assure that racing remains affordable, while offering a maximum of professionalism, equality of opportunity and potential for promoting young talent.This is accomplished by nominal entry rates. In addition, the regulations accommodate the learning needs and experiences of young racers, and the professional environment for training, marketing and organisation offers a unique platform. In both series talent, not technological potential or a big budget, is the only thing that counts.

Safety First

Based on the high safety standard of the production version, the Racing Polo is equipped with a safety package offering maximum protection to the young drivers in case of an accident.

The HANS (head and neck support) system, which has proved its viability in Formula 1 and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM, German Touring Car Masters), is prescribed. This protection is complemented by a complex safety cell using some 20 meters of tubular steel as well as a racing seat with head protector. The sport steering wheel has an airbag, and an integrated fire extinguishing system is activated in the cockpit and engine compartment in case of a fire. To prepare the young drivers for higher racing categories, all cars are fitted with a professional data logging system.

"The system enables detailed analysis of all laps driven, using parameters like speed as well as braking, shifting and turning-in points," explains the Polo Cup's chief instructor, Benedikt große Darrelmann. "This way, the drivers can systematically optimise their driving style."

Production-based technology, systematically optimized

The 130 ps common rail diesel 1.6 litre four-cylinder engine largely equates to the production version and, thanks to its high torque development, easily handles the 1090 kg touring car.

The engine control unit, engine mounts, flywheel, inlet and exhaust systems were modified for use in racing. The agile suspension, as well, was subjected to further development and fitted with special spring-damper units. Power is transmitted by a manual six-speed gearbox with modified final drive and gear ratios as well as a differential that limits slip of the front wheels.

The braking system features particularly ample dimensions and is combined with racing ABS. The front, 334-millimetre discs, in conjunction with the 17-inch wheels, enable enormous deceleration rates. The Cup Polo runs on special JK tyres for dry and wet conditions, which guarantee high levels of grip and vehicle control.