Sporting Intent

IN THE THICK OF THINGS, WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOW VW IS HONING LOCAL MOTORSPORT TALENT FOR INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS

- Samarpan Bhowmik

My ears are ringing with the sound of 205 horses straining at the leash, my vision blurred by a constant stream of sweat down my face, and my lower back hurting as if someone has taken a sledgehammer to it. Welcome to Round 3 of the VW Ameo Cup. We’re at the Madras Motor Racetrack near Chennai on a racing weekend for Volkswagen Motorsport’s newest one-make series.

I report to you, not from the stands or the airconditioned comfort of the viewing towers but from the driver’s seat of a Cup car. In a blatant (and perhaps misplaced) display of confidence in our driving abilities, VW Motorsport decided to invite a couple of journos as guest drivers in the third round of this new one-make series. The points we’d score or the positions we’d land wouldn’t count, but importantly, we’d be able to experience first-hand, what these young and upcoming racers go through in national level competitions.