Volkswagen India to flag-off Polo Cup India 2010 on 30 May

Pune: Volkswagen India will flag-off its first Polo Cup India 2010 with the first race of the season to be held on 30 May  2010 at the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, in Pune.

The final 20 drivers will compete in a series of six races held between May and December 2010.

"These final drivers represent the best raw talent the country has to offer. Polo Cup is the boost that the young drivers in India deserve and have been waiting for," said Joerg Mueller, Volkswagen Group chief representative India, president and managing director, Volkswagen India Private Limited, at a media briefing today at the race track at the Balewadi Sports Complex.

Over 1,100 motor sports enthusiasts from across the country registered to compete in the Polo Cup India 2010, which after the selection process was whittled down to 20 to form the starting grid in the first race in Pune. The aspiring racers were divided into two groups – first-timers and experienced racers, and were put through two rounds of selection. The young racers were narrowed down to 45 drivers through a go-kart selection.

The shortlisted drivers were then placed behind the wheel of the Race Polos, for the second round of selections held in Coimbatore, to earn their place in the final 20 candidates for the races.

The candidates were selected with the support of the expert selection team. The team of selectors consisted of one driver selector and coach from Germany Polo Cup, two Indian driver coaches (experienced drivers from Volkswagen & JK Tyre) and one FMSCI representative, including some of the doyens of Indian motor sports like Akbar Ebrahim, India's, only principle instructor in racing, Farhan Vora, India's guest F1 steward and Rayomand Banerji, six times National Champion. They personally followed the international structures and conducted the coaching camps to select the best young talent.