Karminder Singh is in the driver’s seat after taking a commanding lead in the title hunt, as the 2017 season of Volkswagen Motorsport India’s flagship one-make series Ameo Cup heads to Round 3. With two cracking rounds down out of four, four different racing drivers have stood on the top spot of the podium. With these results so far, the penultimate round is all set to deliver top-notch action as its sets stage for the finals in September.
Finishing on the podium every race of the season – Karminder furthers his campaign with 216 points with the next challenger, Dhruv, trailing by 50 points. Dhruv (166), with two podium finishes, has surprised one and all with his phenomenal pace despite racing touring cars for the first time. He is followed by Sandeep Kumar (156 points) in a close third place overall. Behind the top three racers is Saurav Bandyopadhyay (122), seen on the grid for the first time since Volkswagen Polo Cup in 2012. Debutant Anmol Singh stands strong in the fifth place as he leads the junior drivers with 118 points.
Karminder, on the run to lead the racers on the points table, has driven flawlessly keeping the pace through first two rounds of the Ameo Cup. Getting into the next round, he establishes a comfortable lead over the competition. The battle for top spot between Karminder and Sandeep has been intense so far in the season and is expected to escalate in the upcoming rounds. Sandeep had matched Karminder for points after the first round. However, he missed out on capitalising the momentum after spinning out in last race of Round 2. Sandeep had to settle with a DNF and now stands third on the points table behind Dhruv. The qualifying session would be crucial for Sandeep in Round 3 as he has shown considerable pace in Chennai.
Showcasing his race craft in Race 4 of the Ameo Cup, Dhruv took a fabulous win adding maximum points to his tally. He is slowly mounting his challenge for the Ameo Cup’s inaugural season by consistently finishing within the top five. However, Dhruv will have to implement all his learnings early as he takes on a much faster Sandeep in Round 3 qualifying ahead of the races during the weekend. Saurav’s outing with the Ameo Cup Car has been steady, finishing every race of the season within top ten places. As he settles with the car, studies the track and gathers pace, his performance is expected to improve in the penultimate round and thereafter, and is a potential candidate for the overall third place in the Ameo Cup 2017. What was really exciting was how debutant Anmol has put forth a strong performance showcasing quick grasp on the sport and has taken the lead amongst the junior drivers.
Mr. Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, talking about the fierce competition said “Four different winners so far in the 2017 season’s first four races is a reflection of the potential the drivers possess. Volkswagen Motorsport India’s goal is to bring forward the racing talent and to propel them within the motorsport scenario in this country and with such talented lot, we are trying to achieve just that. With six more races left in the season, the racing is going to be intense as the drivers fight for the top spot to get the sponsored seat in the MRF Formula 1600 for next year.” He further added, “Our indigenously built race machine – Ameo Cup race car will provide a level playing field for the competitors as the battle continues into the next round in Chennai.”
Volkswagen Ameo Cup 2017 table after Round 2 –
| Sr. No. | Car Number | Name | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Race 4 | Total Points |
| 1 | 9 | Karminder Singh | 60 | 48 | 60 | 48 | 216 |
| 2 | 19 | Dhruv Mohite | 34 | 40 | 32 | 60 | 166 |
| 3 | 6 | A Sandeep Kumar | 48 | 60 | 48 | DNF | 156 |
| 4 | 8 | Saurav Bandyopadhyay | 30 | 28 | 34 | 30 | 122 |
| 5 | 14 | Anmol Singh | 32 | 32 | 20 | 34 | 118 |
| 6 | 17 | Donovan Vaz | 22 | 30 | 40 | 20 | 112 |
| 7 | 5 | Jeet Jhabakh | 24 | 34 | 26 | 26 | 110 |
| 8 | 1 | Rashad Khan | 26 | 26 | 22 | 28 | 102 |
| 9 | 7 | Aditya Pawar | 40 | 16 | 12 | 32 | 100 |
| 10 | 4 | Affan Sadat Safwan Islam | DNF | 20 | 28 | 40 | 88 |
| 11 | 15 | Pavneet Singh Sheetal | 18 | 24 | 18 | 24 | 84 |
| 12 | 12 | Vedant Agarwal | 16 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 66 |
| 13 | 10 | Siddharth Kotecha | DNF | 14 | 24 | 22 | 60 |
| 14 | 3 | Rohit Goyal | 28 | DNF | 30 | DNF | 58 |
| 15 | 2 | Johir Suresh | 20 | 22 | 16 | DNF | 58 |
Embarking on Round 3 of the season, Karminder has to outpace the competition in the qualifying and need to be alert avoiding mistakes through the weekend if he were to maintain his lead. Dhruv will also have to be on top of his game driving flawlessly to retain his second position against Sandeep, who is trailing by just 10 points. Sandeep, however, has the pace to qualify ahead of Karminder and Dhruv but will face an uphill task if he fails to put forward a strong qualifying performance. The penultimate round promises fierce racing as young racers tackle the hot conditions in Chennai while competing for top spot in the races ahead.
Qualifying session for the third round is scheduled for tomorrow and the competitive racing begins on Saturday 10:15 am at MMRT near Chennai. The live timings during the races can be followed at – https://madrasmotorsports.in/livetiming/live.html