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It was a mixed start to the 2012 WRC season for the Volkswagen Motorsport team at the 2012 Rallye Monte Carlo from 18-22 January. After a storming start, new factory drivers Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassa suffered a spectacular accident on the 10th special stage, the biggest of Ogier’s career. The pairing’s Škoda S2000 left the rally course at 160kph, and miraculously neither were badly injured. Luckier with the younger team of driver Kevin Abbring and Lara Vanneste, Volkswagen Motorsport claimed a 12th place finish overall and top-of the-S2000 class title. Abbring isn’t registered in the Super 2000 World Rally Championship, though, so the points went to Irishman Craig Breen. The full Volkswagen Motorsport press release follows.

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Volkswagen Motorsport is to contest the 2012 World Rally Championship with a pair of two Škoda Fabia S2000s, running in the SWRC class. The first outing will be the Rallye Monte Carlo on 18-22 January, which will also be Sébastien Ogier’s championship debut for the Volkswagen team, alongside co-driver Julien Ingrassia. Also competing at Monte Carlo are Dutchman Kevin Abbring with his co-driver Lara Vanneste. Sharing the second car will be Škoda UK racer and 2011 Andreas Mikkelsen IRC (Intercontinental Rally Challenge) champion as part of the Volkswagen Junior Programme. The 2012 World Rally Championship runs serve as preparation for the 2013 season, in which Volkswagen will compete in the top class of rally racing with the 300bhp, four-wheel drive Polo R WRC.

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We like this. It would appear that Volkswagen Motorsport’s Polo R WRC isn’t the only rally-prepared monster Polo. Surfacing on the internet earlier today, Paul Dytko’s 400bhp/298kW (that’s 100bhp more than VW’s factory effort, remember) four-wheel drive Polo 6R has been built to contest the 2012 FIA European Hillclimb Championship, which has rounds in both mainland Europe and Paul’s home country of Poland. Capable of 0-62mph in 4.0 seconds, the Dytko Sport car appears to be clothed in similar clothes to Volkswagen’s official Polo R WRC, its cut-back extended wheel arches signalling its storming intent. Paul is looking for sponsorship for further development of the car, and has plans for a full lightweight tube-frame structure. Once we find out more, we’ll bring you more details of this exciting project.

[Source: German Car Scene]

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Fresh from their end-of-season championship battle, 11 Volkswagen Polo R Cup India racing cars will be taking part in a night race in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 17 December. Supporting the debut of the Colombo Night Races, seven of the Polo R Cup India drivers will be piloting their 129bhp TDI racing cars. Four guest Sri Lankan drivers will make up the rest of the grid. The Colombo Night Race marks the Polo R Cup India’s international debut; the race will be run on a 2km street circuit in the heart of Colombo.

Prithviraj Siddappa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, said: ‘We are thrilled to have this opportunity to race on the streets of Colombo in our first ever night race. This will be very encouraging and a learning experience for our young drivers as this is not a conventional race circuit. They will have to adapt quickly and tweak their racing styles. This exhibition race also means a lot for Volkswagen Motorsport as this proves the popularity of Polo R Cup in India and beyond. Races like these will definitely help us attract more young talent for participation in the upcoming 2012 season of the Polo R Cup.’

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Vishnu Prasad is the 2011 champion of the Volkswagen Polo R Cup India. Thanks to clinching fourth place at the final race at the Irungattukottai Race Track in Chennai, Prasad secured the title in front of his fiercest rival, Oshan Kothadiya, who finished fifth. In adverse weather conditions, the spectators witnessed an entertaining race at which the Danish guest entrant, Maiken Rasmussen, caused a surprise. The female racer from the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup stormed up the grid to second place, behind race winner Sunny Sidhu, after having started from position 18 on the grid. Mihir Dharkar completed the podium. The series is run by Volkswagen India Motorsport in conjunction with JK Tyres. The field of 20 young racers drive identical and centrally-prepared 129bhp TDI Polo R Cup cars.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1 Vishnu Prasad: 388 points
2 Oshan Kothadiya: 376 points
3 Avdumber Hede: 359 points

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