2018 Volkswagen Ameo Cup Round 1 Kicks Off This Weekend In Coimbatore

Volkswagen Motorsport India has kick-started its one-make series - Ameo Cup on June 22, 2018, with the first round being held at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore. The series is in its second year and witnesses 20 drivers locking horns on the track while driving the race-spec Volkswagen Ameo subcompact sedan. This year there are 13 new drivers and seven from the opening season that will be putting their best foot forward on the pedal. This year the series also has two women participants who will be competing with other drivers on the grid. Before the opening round for this year, the drivers were put through multiple rounds of fitness sessions as part of fitness camp earlier this week. The participants then got into their cars have a first test of the track before the season officially commences.

Driver coaches Rayomand Banajee and Karthik Tharani have worked with the drivers through several training sessions including learning the basics of the race car, the racing lines to be used on the track, braking lessons and more. The session aims to make the drivers more familiar with the car and get them a fair amount of track time before things get competitive.

Speaking about the 2018 Ameo Cup, Volkswagen Motorsport India Head, Sirish Vissa said, "The 2018 season will be yet another exciting season for us. We have a packed grid of 20 participants this year and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds. We also have two women drivers who will be part of the gird this season. The participants have already started training and are itching to get behind the wheel for the races this weekend."

The weekend started with two free practice sessions on Friday, while the first qualifying session will take place on Saturday. This will be followed by two races, one each on Saturday and Sunday.

The 2018 Volkswagen Ameo Cup will be spread over four race weekends over the next five months. While the first round is on schedule, the next two rounds will be held at the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) in Chennai, followed by the fourth and final round at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida in October this year.