Witnessing participation from over 550 aspiring racers this year in the selection process, a total of 16 participants have been selected to race in the 2015 Volkswagen Vento Cup. Joining them will be 6 drivers from the previous season in the battle for the title, making it a grid of 22 cars in total. In the two rounds of driver selection held at the Indi Karting Track in Kharadi, Pune, drivers willing to compete in the premium one-make racing series from Volkswagen Motorsport India showcased their skills and tried to prove their mettle on the karting track. Driver coach Rayomand Banajee briefed the prospective drivers during the two two-day comprehensive and rigorous selection processes which helped the drivers to better their skills in karting. The selected drivers will be further trained to improve their skills and fitness level to compete in the racing series.
The criteria for selection of the racers this year was overall skills covering consistency, understanding of racing lines, speed, lap times and acceptance for learning. The Vento Cup, which replaces Polo R Cup after five successful years of developing young racing talent in India, will commence later this year through pre-season testing and fitness camp for the drivers before the first competitive round in July. The 2015 season of this one-make series from Volkswagen Motorsport India will witness drivers from across the country, from 10 different cities. From North India, a total of six drivers, all of whom hail from New Delhi including the only two girls, would compete in the series. Two competitors will be seen coming all the way from East India (one from Guwahati and Sikkim each) while seven would come from the western part of the country (four from Pune, two from Aurangabad and one from Mumbai). A total of seven drivers would make it from South India to the Vento Cup 2015’s final grid (three from Hyderabad, two from Coimbatore and one from Bangalore).
Mr. Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, commented “At the first two rounds of selection, we saw some talented drivers coming forward. They showed their skills and eagerness to learn – exactly what needs to be groomed further.” He further added, “It is interesting to see that this year we have drivers from each part of the country. We will now train these drivers for fitness which is a must for racing and also give them an opportunity to test our race cars on the race track before the first competitive round in July.”