The Volkswagen Polo R Cup is now in its third season and it is back with a bang. The cars are all new and fast, the drivers are experienced and this makes for a very exciting cocktail which is sure to throw up some surprises.
The Volkswagen Polo R Cup made its debut in 2010 and has been a very successful series for Indian racing. It is a one make series which makes it extremely competitive and the onus is completely on the driver to perform and produce a result. For the 2012 season VW has ditched the old 1.6L TDI diesel powered cars and brought in the stonking 1.4L TSI petrol motor in its highest state of tune. The car now makes 180 BHP which is a full 50 BHP more than the previous car. Also, the transmission is now a 6-speed DSG (dual clutch) automatic. The already powerful brakes are now beefed up to take care of the extra speed and now sports ABS too. (Albeit in race tune).
This year, participants are slotted under 3 categories viz. Junior, Pro and Master:- Drivers aged between 16 to 26 years and with experience limited to 8 races or less in the last 5 years (in a National Championship) will be part of Junior category.
- Drivers aged between 16 to 26 years with experience of more than 8 races will be a part of the Pro Category.
- Master category will comprise of drivers who are 26 years or above at the time of registration. (They are not eligible for Championship winning prize)
There is a change in prize money and fee structure as well. Prize money for the race winners are INR 50,000, INR 40,000 and INR 30,000 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions respectively. Fee for Junior and Pro categories is INR 7 lakhs while Master category participants’ fee is INR 14 lakhs for the entire season. Each driver has an option to refinance the fee by using their Race Polo bonnet to display their respective sponsorship branding.
Given the above information it is obvious that the cost of doing the Polo R Cup has gone up exponentially in the past 3 seasons. But even at this cost, I personally believe that the Polo R Cup is still a value for money proposition. One gets international grade equipment and an opportunity to really show one's skill because the cars are all equal. Also, the main prize for winning the championship has been a drive in the VW Scirocco R Cup since the past 2 years and that is indeed a very big prize.
Here's what Mr. Prithviraj Siddappa, Head of Motorsport, Volkswagen India had to say about the new cars:
Quote:
After two successful seasons of Polo R Cup, we are looking forward to this year’s championship with a brand new car. It is a strategic decision for us to shift from diesel to petrol as we want to offer our drivers a more powerful racing machine. Polo R Cup program has set benchmarks in Indian motorsports by being focussed on professionalism, technology and safety. It has grown stronger year on year and has cemented its place on the Indian motorsport map.
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The line-up of 20 drivers selected for JK Tyre Volkswagen Polo R Cup 2012:
Sr.No, Name, City, Category, Previous Participation in Polo R Cup
1. Abdullah Alisha, Chennai, Pro, 2010 and 2011
2. Sourav Bandyopadhyay, Mumbai, Pro, 2010 and 2011
3. Arpit Dev, Pune, Junior, -
4. Mihir Dharkar, Mumbai, Pro, 2011
5. Diego Duez (JK TYRE), Mexico, Pro, -
6. Anthony George, Kothamangalam, Pro, 2010
7. Avdumber Hede, Goa, Pro, 2011
8. Tabish Khan, Delhi, Junior, -
9. Ajay Kini, Bangalore, Pro, 2011
10. A. Sandeep Kumar, Chennai, Pro, 2011
11. Yatin Magu, Delhi, Junior, -
12. Angad Singh Matharoo, Chandigarh, Pro, 2011
13. Rahil Noorani, Mumbai, Pro, 2011
14. Hanoosh S, Hyderabad, Junior, -
15. Munjal Savla, Mumbai, Pro, 2010 and 2011 (Thats me: jalsa777
)
16. Siddharth Sharma, Delhi, Junior, -
17. Prashanth Tharani Singh, Chennai, Pro, -
18. Niranjan Todkari, Aurangabad, Pro, -
19. Donovan Vaz, Goa, Pro, 2011
20. Ameya Walwalkar, Mumbai, Master
From the above line-up, it is apparent that the 2012 is the most competitive season in the series' history. 3 drivers have been a part of the Polo Cup since 2010 and thus carry a wealth of experience with them. 6 of the top 8 drivers from the last season are competing. Joining them are 2 veterans, viz. Ameya Walawalkar and Diego Duez. Ameya is the current Indian National Racing Champion and has multiple karting titles to his name while Diego has already taken part in the Volkswagen Jetta Cup USA and various other touring car series.
Specifications of the 2012 Polo R Cup car:- Engine: 1.4L TSI. (Turbocharged + Supercharged) This is the same engine which powers the SEAT Ibiza Cupra, VW Polo GTI and the Skoda Fabia RS.
- Power: 180 BHP @ 6200 rpm
- Torque: 250 Nm @ 2000-4500 rpm
- Transmission: 6-speed automatic (semi-auto mode)
- Differential: Limited Slip type
- Brakes: AP Racing front callipers and discs, rear discs. With ABS
- Kerb weight: 1195 kg
- Fuel: 45 litre tank. Standard 97 octane petrol.
The 2012 Race Calender:- Round 1, July 06-08, Coimbatore KMS
- Round 2, July 27-29, Coimbatore KMS
- Round 3, Aug 24-26, Chennai MMRT
- Round 4, Sep 14-16, Chennai MMRT
- Round 5, Oct 12-14, Chennai MMRT
- Round 6, Nov 30-Dec 02, Noida JPSI
Enjoy the Pictures:
Polo WRC headlamps. These were just for the showcar, the race cars will have the normal Polo headlamps:
The engine is very tightly packed:
A proper spoiler that actually works:
Multiple adjustment opportunities. But the drivers are not allowed to alter the settings, the race engineer will decide the optimum setting for each track and all cars will be set-up accordingly:
Brakes are larger than in 2010 and 2012. We also expect newer rims from Round 2 onwards:
Shifter paddles:
The in-car display has shift-lights and a gear position indicator. It also shows various other parameters like temperatures, lap-times, speed, RPM, etc.:
If VW plans to sell these headlights in the accessory market, they will surely find a lot of buyers:
This car has Euro spec interiors, hence silver accents on the headlight knob:
Also on the Air-conditioning knobs. (No, the race car does not get air-conditioning, but only a blower)