Entering its third year of action packed racing, the Volkswagen Ameo Class, now part of the MRF MMSCI fmsci National Championship 2019 kicks off this weekend in Coimbatore. 18 drivers will be competing for the championship title this year with nine new drivers and nine drivers from the previous seasons in attendance. Apart from the Ameo Class, Round 1 at the Kari Motor Speedway will also see Volkswagen Motorsport India compete in the ITC category with the Vento race car.
Speaking on the newest season of the Ameo Class, Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, "The 2019 season will be yet another thrilling season for us. As we enter the 10th year of Motorsport, we are eager to witness the season unfold. The drivers have already started training and are charged up to start racing. The season is also special for us because our premier one-make series with the Ameo race cars is now a recognised national championship and the winner will be officially crowned a National Champion by FMSCI".
(The 9 new drivers for the 2019 Volkswagen Ameo Cup were selected after a battery of gruelling tests)
The nine new drivers on the grid were selected after a thorough selection process across different parameters. The drivers were put through a two-day fitness camp in Pune last month to evaluate their fitness levels and to guide them towards achieving the fitness levels needed for the race track. The camp organised by Multifit witnessed the drivers undergoing multiple sessions on workouts, posture correction, diet and nutrition. The training sessions were designed to enhance the performance of drivers with prehab and rehab training. The new drivers also had a chance to get to know the track well with practice sessions over the last three days before the season officially begins.
The drivers were coached by Rayomand Banajee and Karthik Tharani covering several fundamentals of racing including the correct race lines, braking drills and more. After two free practice sessions on Friday, the qualifying will take place later today followed by the first race of the season. The second and third races are scheduled for Sunday. The ITC category has Volkswagen Motorsport India enter with three cars piloted by Karthik Tharani, Ishaan Dodhiwala and Ddhruv Mohite in the TC4-A Vento. VW has a dominant position in the series but will see the veteran racers like Arjun Bala make for strong competition.
The 2019 Volkswagen Ameo Class is scheduled for a total of four rounds with the second, third and fourth round to be held at the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) in July, August and October respectively this year.
