Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Announces First Guest Driver

MILLVILLE, N.J. Sept. 24, 2008 – Shane Williams from the ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup in Germany will be the first guest driver for the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Race series. He will be driving in both races of the double header weekend in New Jersey, Sept. 26 through Sept. 28. Williams, 21, from Capetown, South Africa, was the mid-season point leader in the Volkswagen Polo Cup.

“We are excited to have Shane joining our field of drivers as the first ever guest driver in the Jetta TDI Cup,” said Clark Campbell, motorsport manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Spectators at the double-header race in New Jersey will be in for one of the most thrilling weekends yet this season.”

Williams is currently ranked second in the Polo Cup point standings, four points behind the lead driver with one final race to go. He drives the No. 4 Volkswagen Polo in his second season of competition in the ADAC Polo Cup.

Williams is also a participant in the Volkswagen student exchange program, a program established to link Volkswagen’s international one-make cups in China, Germany, Japan and the USA. It helps the drivers further their education by participating in foreign competitions, giving them the chance to take a look behind the scenes of other series and to prove their skills in completely unfamiliar circumstances.

“We created the driver exchange program to reward and challenge the top drivers in our young driver development series’ all over the world,” said Kris Nissen, Volkswagen motorsport director. “The Volkswagen Cup concept gives the young drivers from around the globe a professional introduction to factory-level motorsport, and a special incentive to further their racing careers.”

Williams resides in Cape Town, South Africa and has been karting since 2001. He has participated in the Polo Cup for the last two years, finishing seventh overall in the 2007 season championship. This year he has won two races and earned three additional top-three-results giving him a strong chance to win the title in the finale on October, 26th in Hockenheim, Germany.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series features 30 up-and-coming drivers ages 16 to 26 driving a factory managed 2009 Jetta TDI, with the goal to find the driver with the most talent and help them break into the world of professional motorsports. The winning driver will receive the opportunity to drive in a Polo Cup race, and up to $250,000 to start their professional racing career. In addition, Volkswagen of America is holding a media relations contest among drivers, the driver who secures the most media coverage for themselves and the Jetta TDI Cup will also be invited to race in a Polo Cup Race in Germany.

Races have already taken place at VIRginia International Raceway, Mosport Raceway, Portland International Raceway, Lime Rock Park and Iowa Speedway, following a driver selection process that took place at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix, Ariz. The Jetta TDI Cup series, the first all clean-diesel race series, is sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing Inc. Sponsors for the race include: Aggreko, Athlete’s Performance, Bondurant, Bosch, fulŪ, Holder, Hoopla, Ironclad, Kyosho, Oakley, RedBull, UTI and ViON.