Source: Volkswagen
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 07:23 PM IST (01:53 PM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Entertainment, Sports; Business: Advertising, PR & marketing, Automotives, Business services, Media & entertainment, Sports; Automotive
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Karthik Shankar Leads Championship Standings after 2nd Round of Volkswagen-JK Tyre Polo Cup India 2010
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, Tuesday, July 20, 2010 -- (Business Wire India) -- Karthik Shankar only 7 Points ahead of Vishnu Prasad / With a difference of 5-10 points between each of the top 6 racers exciting competition is expected for the next Race on August 29 in Coimbatore / K K Swamy, Vice President and Managing Director Volkswagen India: "It is really thrilling to see a car made of the street performing in a race"
After two rounds and four races of Polo Cup India 2010, Karthik Shankar from Hyderabad emerged as the leader in the Championship standings. The commercial pilot from Hyderabad displayed some amazing skills in all the races, both on the street track in Pune and the race track in Coimbatore, earning him Championship leader positions with 94 points after 2 rounds of the Polo Cup.
The 2nd round of the Polo Cup India 2010 at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore was witness to two thrilling races on Sunday. The racers Vishnu Prasad and Karthik Shankar had some incredible moments in both races that entertained the crowds at the race track and helped them to clinch podium positions for themselves in both races. While Vishnu Prasad, the young lad from Chennai, won top honours in the 1st race, Karthik Shankar, the 23-year pilot, won top honours in a nail-biting finish in the 2nd race.
Karthik Shankar has clearly displayed his skill as a racer to lead the pack with total of 94 points. Not to be out-done, Vishnu Prasad is close behind with a total of 87 points. With an average difference of 7 points between the top 6 drivers, the next race in Coimbatore is sure to be an exhilarating one, with all the drivers battling for top honors. The 3rd round of Polo Cup India 2010 will be held in August, with the qualifying round on August 28 and Race day (2 races) on August 29 at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore.
Please find below the latest Championship standings after Round 2 of Polo Cup India 2010, as well as the podium results from the 2 races:
Championship standings after Round 2 of Polo Cup India 2010
Position Driver City Points
1 Karthik Shankar Hyderabad 94
2 Vishnu Prasad Chennai 87
3 Sailesh Bolisetti Vishakhapatnam 80
4 Sahil Shelar Pune 70
5 Mohammed Fahad Kutty Mumbai 65
6 Parth Ghorpade Kolhapur 59
7 Oshan Kothadiya Pune 49
8 Gokul Krishna Chennai 46
9 Munjal Savla Mumbai 45
10 Imran Majid Mumbai 41
11 Gurniaz Maan Mumbai 41
12 Alisha Abdullah Chennai 40
13 Anthony George Kochi 39
14 Samyak Shah Pune 33
15 Saran Vikram Chennai 31
16 Saurav Bandhopadhyay Mumbai 21
17 Jayprashant Venkat Coimbatore 15
18 Vikash Anand Chennai 13
19 Ameya Bafna Mumbai 4
20 Suraj Bhagat Ahmednagar 0
Podium Positions for Race 1 of Round 2
Position Name Total time Best Lap time
1 Vishnu Prasad 00:27:57.043 1:16:554
2 Sahil Shelar 00:27:58.893 1:16:774
3 Karthik Shankar 00:27:59.608 1:17:008
Podium Positions Race 2 of Round 2
Position Name Total time Best Lap time
1 Karthik Shankar 00:26:00.310 1:17:021
2 Vishnu Prasad 00:26:00.512 1:16:597
3 Parth Ghorpade 00:26:05.601 1:16:918
Given below are some comments about the Championship from dignitaries present during the Polo Cup India 2010 championship rounds in Pune and Coimbatore:
Mr K K Swamy, Vice-President and Managing Director, Volkswagen India Private Limited, commented, "After the successful inaugural race in Pune, the hometown of Volkswagen India, we were really happy to be in Coimbatore for the 2nd round of Polo Cup India 2010. This race was special as it was the first time that a race of the Polo Cup India took place on a race track. The Polo Cup India acts as a bridge between the Volkswagen customer and the race driver of tomorrow. It is really thrilling to see a car made of the street performing in a race."
"We are extremely happy and proud to launch Polo Cup for the first time in India. This moment is the true definition of happiness and contentment for us and I hope the motor sports enthusiast in India feel the same adrenaline rush as we do. Volkswagen has been associated with races and rallies all over the world and we are proud that we are creating history in India. Volkswagen has always encouraged young talent in motor sports. The drivers of the Polo Cup today will be the foundation of the Indian motor sports scenario tomorrow", said Kris Nissen, Volkswagen Motorsport Director.
Mr. Rick Bond, Managing Director, Lear Corporation - a sponsor of Polo Cup India 2010, who was present at the races in Coimbatore expressed, "The Polo Cup India 2010 provides a tremendous opportunity for the young talent in India to gain some exposure the in world of motor sport. Lear Corporation has a long standing global relationship with Volkswagen to provide the automotive seating and electronics. This was the first time I have witnessed a Polo Cup race and I must admit it was an exhilarating experience. I feel proud to support Volkswagen with the parts needed to build the incredible Polo and we look forward to working with together on future projects similar to the Polo Cup."
"We have been the Volkswagen dealers for Coimbatore since 2009. The launch of the Polo Cup has created tremendous response among customers for the new Volkswagen Polo. The Polo Cup provides a fantastic opportunity to build the brand. In fact we have had enquiries from 8 to 10 customers who wanted to purchase the Race Polo", said Mr. Sashikumar, Chief Executive Officer, Ramani Cars Private Limited - the dealership for Volkswagen Coimbatore at the racetrack in Coimbatore.
Mr. Lalit Sardana, Vice-President - Business Development, Krishna Group - a sponsor of Polo Cup India 2010 shared, "The Polo Cup India is truly a unique and one-of-a-kind event. This is the first time in India that a manufacturer has taken an initiative like this. We have a lot invested in the Polo and the success of the Polo Cup will boost the Polo brand immensely. We look forward to a great Polo Cup season and wish the drivers the best of luck."
"The goal of the Volkswagen through the Polo Cup India is to nurture talent from India. This is the first time in the history of Indian motor sport that a diesel engine will be used in a racing car. The winners of the Polo Cup India will get an opportunity to participate in other one-make series of Volkswagen across the world," added Mr. Prithviraj Siddappa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsports India.
Motor sports enthusiasts interested in getting further information can log on to the website, www.polocup.in. This website will display information about the format of The Polo Cup India, race updates and driver profiles.
About Volkswagen Motorsport
Volkswagen is committed to broad-scale motor sport and its activities include Dakar Rally, F3 Euro Series, German F3 Cup and 24-hours of Nuerburgring. The Volkswagen Cup races are successfully installed in the US, in South Africa, in China, and from 2010 onwards in India.
Following the legendary Formula V as of 1966 the brand, in 1976, sponsored a one-make touring car cup for the first time. Among others, the Scirocco Cup produced drivers like the subsequent Formula 1 racer Manfred Winkelhock. In 1977 the first-generation Golf GTI replaced the Scirocco as the cup vehicle and remained the popular competition car for a generation of young racers up to 1982. At the relaunch in 1998, Volkswagen presented the Lupo, which offered top-class sport at fair prices, as well as the Volkswagen New Beetle Cup.
The year of 1998 stands for an all-new concept in the world of racing. To this day, this new concept featuring centrally fielded vehicles and car swapping among the drivers guarantees maximum equality of opportunity. In 2004 the 150-hp Polo replaced the small Lupo as the cup vehicle and the concept was subjected to further refinement. The Polo Cup's success story is closely linked to the DTM-Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft. The premier league of touring car racing has evolved into a real crowd-puller and is envisaged as a concrete career goal by many junior racers.
To view pictures with captions, please click on the link below:
Action on the track during 2nd race of round 2 of polo cup india 2010
Karthik Shankar
Karthik Shankar crossing the finish line during race 2 of round 2 of polo cup india 2010 with Vishnu Prasad close behind
For picture(s)/data to illustrate this release click below:
http://www.BusinessWireIndia.com/attachments/Picture1(8).JPG
Action on the track during 2nd race of round 2 of polo cup india 2010
http://www.BusinessWireIndia.com/attachments/Picture2(5).JPG
Action on the track during 2nd race of round 2 of polo cup india 2010
http://www.BusinessWireIndia.com/attachments/Picture3(2).JPG
Action on the track during 2nd race of round 2 of polo cup india 2010
CONTACT DETAILS
Kurt Rippholz, Volkswagen Group Communications, +919930455597, kurt.rippholz@volkswagen.co.in
Nishant Maller, 20:20 Media, +919840070444, nishant@2020india.com
David Vaz, 20:20 Media, +919322652611, david@2020india.com
KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS, MARKETING, AUTOMOTIVE, BUSINESS SERVICES, MEDIA, AUTOMOTIVE
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