Volkswagen Motorsport India has recently made an announcement about their one make race series, Vento Cup. The new race series will comprise Volkswagen Vento models replace the erstwhile Polo car, which had been in use for the last five years in tandem. This comes at the beginning of the year when the new season is just about to start.
The company has reported that the chassis of the car has been reinforced for an increased rigidity. The stock Vento features a 1.4-litre TSI engine, which is capable of generating 180 PS power and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. On the flip side, the Vento has a lower drag co-efficient as compared to the Polo. Incidentally, this should allow the car to move faster and have a better handling in corners. Also, this would allow rookies to get accustomed to the car more easily, thus reducing the gap between experienced drivers and amateurs.
The manufacturer has decided to select the drivers on the basis of a karting programme, which will be conducted in the month of February in Pune. The race will be conducted by Rayo Racing and the new drivers will be pitted against some of the existing race drivers from the 2014 Polo cup. The cost for enrolling for the Vento Cup is 8 lakhs INR for the junior as well as the Pro Categories. The cost for signing for the Senior Category will be 12 lakhs INR. Participation of international drivers will cost 14 lakhs INR. The company expects entries of around 20 to 25 racers for the season of 2015.
Also the plans to get the MMSC racetrack back on the running calendar are also in progress with an inclusion of Buddha International Circuit and the Kari Motor Speedway. The Polo Cup was launched by Volkswagen five years ago and this time around they felt that a change was necessary. The winner gets an opportunity to drive in an international series or somewhat higher series in India, if the driver is under the age of 26. The calendar of the 2015 Vento Cup has not yet been fixed but the races are scheduled to begin by June 2015 and conclude at the Buddha International Circuit by November.
