That's How Winning is Done!

Round three of this year’s Vento Cup showcased some really close racing as drivers battled hard for championship points in preparation for the final round.

- Anosh Khumbatta

SINCE 2010, THE Volkswagen Polo cup has been gaining popularity as a way into the world of car racing. Every year, a handful of drivers are picked, assessed, trained, nurtured and let loose to do battle on racetracks across India. These races provide a platform for budding young talent to test their mettle in a highly competitive environment, in a one-make event organised to world-class standards. Last year, after five seasons of tearing up the track in the race-ready Polos, Volkswagen Motorsport made the decision to make a shift to the Vento, and so since 2015 we have had the Vento Cup. These race-prepared cars are powered by supercharged 1.4-litre engines that put out 180 PS, all excess weight has been trimmed off, and they run on MRF slicks. The cars are identical in performance, so only the best drivers shine through. Car India was on hand to witness round three of this season’s racing, held over the third weekend of August, at Sriperumbudur’s MMRT circuit.

Race one

Going into the weekend, it was Hyderabad’s Ishaan Dodhiwala leadi the championship standings with 240 points, closely followed by Karminda Singh from New Delhi and Goa’s Ke Desouza at 228 and 222 points respectively. Also in the running was Pune’s Niranjan Todkari with 182 po