German car manufacturer Volkswagen are prepared for another season of high octane, exciting racing as two Championships which feature their name gets underway at Oulton Park this coming weekend.
The traditional Easter Weekend British Formula 3 season opener sees 9 Cooper Tyres British Formula 3 International Series cars being powered by the Volkswagen power plant, while the VW Racing Cup has its first races of the season. The VW Cup is featuring a capacity grid for this season, the 10th season of the popular one make series.
The Fuchs Lubricants backed VW Racing Cup will be run over 14 races at 7 different tracks, including the Championship's first visit to an European circuit, when they race at Zandvoort, Holland. The Championship is on the support bill of the Formula 3 series for 5 of the 7 race weekends, with the season finale being held at Donington Park in October.
The grid for the 2010 VW Cup features some of the most iconic makes and models from the manufacturers collection, including the new VW Scirocco, a 'Herbie' liveried VW Beetle RSi as well as numerous examples of the VW Golf GTi – 2 of which will be piloted by drivers with disabilities.
The director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Simon Elliott, will be making his debut in a crown pleasing Volkswagen Caddy TDi van, and he said about his forthcoming debut: “The Volkswagen Racing Cup is a fantastic championship to be involved with and I cannot wait to get out on track. During the year we visit some fantastic circuits and with such a wide range of vehicles and drivers making up this year's grid, the season is sure to provide some fantastic entertainment.”
For the Cooper Tyres British Formula 3 International Series runners, they are faced with a whole load of new rules and regulations for the 2010 Campaign. The biggest one is the change to a triple header of races over a weekend, of varying lengths and grid reversals.
The series will have 3 races per weekend over 10 weekends, taking in some of the finest tracks in Europe and the UK. The European races will visit Magny Cours, Hockenheim, and Spa, as well as 6 of the best tracks in the UK.
Carlin Motorsport, the 2009 Champions have continued their relationship with the German brand, and will run 6 of the Dallara-Volkswagen cars in the Championship, while Hitch Racing from Buckinghamshire will run a brace of the cars. BBC's Formula One Commentator Martin Brundle's son, Alex, will pilot the 9th Volkswagen powered car on the grid, with T-Sport.
Championship dates:
VW Racing Cup:
| Date | Circuit | Rounds |
|---|---|---|
| 5th April | Oulton Park, Cheshire | 1 & 2 |
| 21ST-22ND May | Zandvoort, Netherlands | 3 & 4 |
| 17th-18th July | Rockingham, Northamptonshire | 5 & 6 |
| 14th-15th August | Silverstone, Northamptonshire | 7 & 8 |
| 29th-30th August | Snetterton, Norfolk | 9 & 10 |
| 25th-26th September | Brands Hatch, Kent | 11 & 12 |
| 16th-17th October | Donington Park, Derbyshire | 13 & 14 |
Cooper Tyres British Formula 3 International Series:
| Date | Circuit | Rounds |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd-5th April | Oulton Park, Cheshire | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1st-2nd May | Silverstone, Northamptonshire | 4, 5, 6 |
| 22nd-23rd May | Magny-Cours, France | 7, 8, 9 |
| 29th-30th May | Hockenheim, Germany | 10, 11, 12 |
| 17th-18th July | Rockingham, Northamptonshire | 13, 14, 15 |
| 30th-31st July | Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium | 16, 17, 18 |
| 7th-8th August | Thruxton, Hampshire | 19, 20, 21 |
| 14th-15th August | Silverstone, Northamptonshire | 22, 23, 24 |
| 29th-30th August | Snetterton, Norfolk | 25, 26, 27 |
| 25th-26th September | Brands Hatch, Kent | 28, 29, 30 |
