Iowa Kick Off for Kenney's Second Half

Sterling, Virginia September 17, 2008 – Liam Kenney returns to action this weekend as the 2008 VW Jetta TDI Cup Series heads into a frantic second-half of the season with Round 5 hosted at Iowa Speedway on Saturday 20th September, the first of four races over the next three weekends to determine the outcome of the inaugural Volkswagen-backed championship.

Kenney heads to Iowa’s part-road course, part oval race track sitting fifth overall in the Driver Standings with three straight top-ten finishes to his credit. The 16-year-old Virginia racer kick started his run with a tenth place effort at Mosport in Canada in Round 2, followed by a maiden podium courtesy of a well-earned second place finish in Round 3 at Portland.

Last month’s Lime Rock Park outing saw Liam claw his way through the field from 17th on the grid to ninth at the checkered, the teenage ace battling both his rivals and flu-like symptoms behind the wheel of the #35 ViON/Trax International entry – the 30-strong field all competing in identical, clean-diesel powered 2009-spec VW Jetta TDI’s.

“I have to say I’m pretty excited to be heading to Iowa this weekend,” said Kenney. “I haven’t really raced on a road course with this much oval incorporated into it so it should be fun. I’m absolutely confident that the Jetta TDI will be amazing to race on that type of layout. I’m itching to get back into the car as we’ve had another long break between races. I’ve been keeping busy doing some simulator racing but there’s nothing like being out there on track competing for real.

“I’m still gunning for the championship and we’re cramming in half a season’s worth of racing into the next three weeks. I think it’s all going to go down to the wire and one mistake could cost you the title, it’s as simple as that with four races in three weekends. I’m aiming for strong finishes to keep my top-ten streak going and hopefully that’ll pay off in the long run. With Iowa being a one day event there’s not a huge margin for error so we’ve got to be quick straight out of the box on Saturday but I can’t wait to get going.”