ATTERBURY TAKES THE WIN AT THE FIRST VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI CUP RACE OF THE SEASON

Rookie pole sitter claims his first series win at VIR

Alton, VA (April 25, 2009) – Another picture-perfect day greeted the SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup at VIRginia International Raceway today for Round 1 of the 2009 season. While series veterans put on a strong showing, it was rookie Joey Atterbury who took the checkered flag in the #14 Red Bull car.

The Renton, Wash. native battled another rookie driver, AJ Nealey, for much of the race with the pair swapping the lead four times during the race. Series veteran Timmy Megenbier rounded out the podium with his third-place finish.

“Today was such a great race, but it was also very challenging because of the heat that we encountered. Despite this, the Pirelli tires held up really well, and gave us some excellent grip,” said Atterbury. “AJ, myself and Jake Thompson had some great battles for the lead. I think that we all raced each other very cleanly, and I have to thank them for that. This was a great way to start the season, but I know that we have another round tomorrow, so I need to keep my concentration for the next race.”

Red Bull athlete and freestyle skier, Simon Dumont improved six positions during the race to finish in 19th place. Dumont, thoroughly enjoyed his experience in the series and hinted about a possible return in the future.

“The entire experience was way more than I ever imagined that it would be. The first time for me to get in a professional-level racecar was yesterday, and I’m definitely hooked,” said Dumont. “My goal heading into this was to try to be competitive and not finish last, and I accomplished both goals. I’m going to do some work with my personal sponsors when I get home to see if I might be able to give the series a try full time next year.”

Dumont’s feelings regarding the day’s action were also shared by Volkswagen of America, Inc. motorsport manager, Clark Campbell.

“Heading into our second season, we had great expectations for this year’s edition of the series.” said Campbell. “All of the drivers did an excellent job on the track today, and we had very few incidents, which is a little surprising given that it was our first race. What I saw out on the track today far exceeded my expectations, and I’m looking forward to our drivers putting on another great show tomorrow.”

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series returns to action tomorrow for Round 2 at VIR. The race is scheduled to begin Sunday at 2 pm. Live timing and scoring is available at http://www.livetiming.net/SCCA/VW/livetiming.asp.

Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup – Round 1
VIRginia International Raceway – April 25, 2009
Fin. Position/St. Position/Car Number/Driver/Hometown/Sponsor/
1 1 14 Joey Atterbury(R)/Renton/WA/Red Bull
2 2 2 AJ Nealey(R)/Pasadena/MD/Oakley
3 5 17 Timmy Megenbier/Melrose Park/IL/Chicagoland VW
4 4 3 Taylor Broekemeier/Fort Collins/CO/Pirelli
5 9 20 Mark Pombo/Duluth/GA/VW Parts & Accessories
6 8 27 Andy Lee/Maricopa/AZ/Castrol
7 11 29 Devin Cates(R)/Broad Run/VA/HYPERFUELS
8 3 19 Jake Thompson(R)/Vancouver/BC/CN/VION/
9 10 4 Nicky Boulle(R)/Dallas/TX/Pirelli
10 21 22 Andrew Novich(R)/Novato/CA/Meguiars
11 19 23 Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle/Puebla/MX/Castrol
12 16 24 Donny Warren(R)/Winchester/VA/Aggreko
13 15 30 Perry Richardson(R)/Los Gatos/CA/Defender
14 12 6 David Richert/Niverville MB/CN/Bosch
15 18 16 Eric Morse(R)/Pittsburgh/PA/VW Preloved
16 24 18 Kerstin Smutny(R)/Bothell/WA/iRacing.com
17 23 11 Kyle Wharff(R)/Miramar/FL/VW Parts & Accessories
18 20 15 Theresa Condict(R)/Lexington/MA/HYPERFUELS
10 Simon Dumont(G)/Bethel/ME/Red Bull
19 26 32 Andrew Gun Tucker(R)/McDonough/GA/Oakley
20 14 7 JD Mobley(R)/Castle Rock/CO/Bosch
21 6 5 Ryan Ellis(R)/Ashburn/VA/VION
22 7 8 Derek Jones/Philadelphia/PA/Aggreko
23 17 34 Juan Pablo Delgado(R)/Orizaba VZ/VC/SCCA
24 13 26 Andrew Cordeiro/Woodbridge Ont/CN/Lamin-X
25 22 28 Rhett Tucker(R)/Cumming/GA/DC United

About Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup
The 2009 season marks the second year of competition for the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, which is sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing. During the season, young, up and coming drivers (between ages 16-26) will compete in 10 events on eight road courses around North America in identical factory-prepared clean diesel Jetta TDI’s powered by Syndiesel® B5 blended biodiesel fuel. Each driver competing in the series will earn a Pro Racing license from SCCA at the conclusion of the season. In addition, the series champion will win $100,000.

The Jetta TDI Cup car is powered by a 2.0-liter, 170 hp, four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine mated to a six-speed, double-clutch, automatic DSG transmission. The car is only slightly modified from stock with Pirelli racing tires, race suspension and brake components, drivers racing safety seat, FIA roll cage and an on-board fire extinguisher system. Series sponsors include: Pirelli, Bosch, ViON, Castrol, Oakley, Red Bull, HYPERFUELS, Aggreko, defNder, Lamin-X, Meguiar’s, Safety-Kleen, Ringer Gloves, Jim Russell Racing School and Trellis Earth.

Follow the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series action on:
www.vwmotorsportusa.com
Volkswagen Online Newsroom: media.vw.com
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/JettaTDICup
Twitter: http://twitter.com/VWJettaTDICup

Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg 2 and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2009 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.

SCCA Pro Racing
A wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., SCCA Pro Racing Ltd. is a leading sanctioning body for motorsports events in the United States. A member of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), SCCA Pro Racing operates and sanctions the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, as well as provides sanctioning and various operational services for other racing series. For more information, please visit www.sccapro.com.