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Broadcast
date : 16th April 2006 |
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Volkswagen’s Motorsport
division is now known as Volkswagen Racing, but that’s
something of a misnomer.
For the past few years the accent at VW Racing has been very
much on rallying, and in fact VW is the current
championship-winning team in our national rally championship.
Since the late 1990s, Volkswagen Racing has also supplied
racing Polos for the VW Engen Cup one-make series, and this is
one of the most entertaining classes of all on the circuit
racing scene.
The Polo racers use modified two-litre engines not dissimilar
to the GTi engines, except that they are naturally aspirated.
The GTi is of course turbocharged and will compete against the
Mini Cooper S brigade in the production car series.
The Golf has been the mainstay competition car for Volkswagen
both on and off the road.
VW Racing builds special streetcars for the likes of the
police force and for enthusiasts who want special road-going
Golfs and Polos. It also builds complete race and rally cars
for privateers wanting to enter the sport.
As far as top level rallying is concerned Jannie Habig and
Douglas Judd are the 2005 champions in a Golf, while
team-mates Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson are currently the pace
setters in 2006.
Nevertheless Motorsport Manager Andre van der Watt is well
aware that the privateer customers are vital to Volkswagen’s
public image.
It makes good sense for privateer rallyists and racers to buy
their cars on order from Volkswagen Racing. The key to cost
cutting is that VW Racing has access to raw body components
before they reach the assembly line.
For the rallying programme, VW Racing’s engine division
prepares engines with up to 200 kilowatts of output, capable
of revving all day at 9000 rpm.
And no branch of motorsport punishes a car more than rallying,
because of the speeds reached on gravel.
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Since 1982, when Volkswagen
South Africa began campaigning the famous Audi Quattros for
Sarel van der Merwe and Geoff Mortimer, the company has been
at the forefront of South African rallying.
Along with Toyota, Volkswagen has been a major contender for
overall rallying championships for over two decades, and the
Golf has increasingly played a starring role in that
situation.
In rallying’s top classes the machinery is so specialized
that it’s practically impossible for a privateer to compete
successfully, but VW Racing also prepares Polos and Golfs for
competition in the lower classes.
While Jannie Habig has won a number of championships for VW,
last year Enzo Kuun came within an ace of winning his first
championship for VW and many pundits feel he is the favourite
for 2006 honours.
Few outsiders realize the level of craftsmanship and
commitment from dozens of team members that goes into a
rally-winning vehicle. And how each component is purpose-built
for the car, from conception through to completion.
The Golf Gti has become THE icon in the hot-hatch class, with
VW struggling to supply enough for customers. This sequence
shows Clint putting a standard Gti through its paces at
Midvaal Raceway near Vereeniging.
Ironically, Clint will compete in a Mini Cooper S against the
racing Gti's which, according to Johan Smit, should be
competitive out the box.
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