- Polo GTI R5: One-two-three at the Rally Ypres, Kristoffersson wins in Sweden
- Golf GTI TCR: Jasmin Preisig bolsters Max Kruse Racing on the Nordschleife
- Golf GTI TCR: Two sprint victories for Volkswagen drivers in Estonia
Belgian Rally Championship
Victory for Craig Breen and Paul Nagle at the Rally Ypres
Volkswagen drivers achieved a top-three shut-out at round six of the Belgian Rally Championship. The winner of the Rally Ypres was experienced WRC driver Craig Breen (IRL). Together with co- driver Paul Nagle (IRL), he won nine of the 23 special stages and, after 277.88 kilometres against the clock, finished 45.7 seconds ahead of Kevin Abbring and Veronique Hostens (NL/B), who also set the fastest time on nine special stages. They were followed in third place by Belgians Kris Princen and Bram Eelbode in a third Polo GTI R5. “It is nice to win here,” said Breen. “It is a famous rally, which is very important to me personally. We had a perfect weekend. The Polo GTI R5 is without doubt the best R5 car I have ever driven. It is almost like driving a WRC car.”
As Breen and Abbring were making guest appearances at the rally, Princen was the weekend’s big winner in terms of the overall standings. “As none of our direct rivals picked up points, this result is very important for us,” said Princen. “For this reason, I made a conscious decision not to take too many risks.” The reigning Belgian rally champion is out on his own at the top of the overall standings. After a short summer break, the Belgian Rally Championship returns to action on 06 and 07 September with round seven, the Omloop van Vlaanderen.
VLN Endurance Championship
Jasmin Preisig lines up in a Golf GTI TCR for Max Kruse Racing
Racing driver Jasmin Preisig will join the Max Kruse Racing team at the wheel of a Golf GTI TCR from round four of the VLN Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring. Her new race carwill make its debut at the 50th Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken Trophy on 13 July. Jasmin Preisig says: “I am pleased with the faith that Volkswagen is putting in me, and that I have the opportunity to race in the TCR class of the VLN Endurance Championship with the Max Kruse Racing team. I am very excited about the race weekend.” Her team-mate for the endurance races will be Loris Prattes (D).
The 27-year-old Swiss can look back on a long motorsport career: As a youngster, she started out in kart racing before going on to gain touring car experience in the ADAC Volkswagen Scirocco R- Cup. Most recently, Preisig has been in action for the “Girls only” team. She has lined up in the VLN and at the 24h Nürburgring for the all-women racing team. Preisig has also taken on a representative role as brand ambassador for AMAG Import AG, general importer for Volkswagen in Switzerland.
TCR Baltic
Highs and lows for Adomavičius in Estonia
Golf GTI TCR driver Julius Adomavičius (LT) was victorious in race one of the third round of TCR Baltic in Pärnu (EST). He started the race from pole position, but surrendered his lead to Džiugas Tovilavičius (LT) in another Golf GTI TCR in turn one. Adomavičius then countered on lap two, after which he refused to give up the lead. Tovilavičius came home second. Race two was won by Tovilavičius, who inherited the lead from Adomavičius when he was forced to retire with a damaged suspension. Kestutis Stasionis (LT) was third in the third Golf GTI TCR. After three rounds, Tovilavičius now leads the overall standings with 108 points, ahead of Ramūnas Čapkauskas (LT, Hyundai), who has 99 points to his name. The series returns to action from 16 to 18 August with round four in Riga (LV).
Swedish Rally Sprint Championship
Kristoffersson wins rally sprint in the Polo GTI R5
Johan Kristoffersson (S) remains a busy man. Just one week after his victory in the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup, the 30-year- old once again swapped his Golf GTI TCR for the Polo GTI R5.
Rallying instead of touring car racing, but with the same successful outcome. Kristoffersson won the Swedish Rally Sprint Championship in Malmö. Kristoffersson was embroiled in a fierce battle with WRC driver Pontus Tidemand (S, Škoda) on the 1.9- kilometre track. Kristoffersson emerged victorious from a head- to-head race to win both races by a combined time of just 0.6 seconds. Large stretches of the route in Malmö were on gravel, although the final section was on asphalt. Perfect conditions for two-time world Rallycross champion Kristoffersson, who returns to the wheel of the Golf GTI TCR again next week for round six of this season’s WTCR- FIA World Touring Car Cup in Vila Real (P).
