Sierra Lendle Takes a Win From the Pole at New Jersey

MILLVILLE, N.J., May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday after qualifying, Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup pole winner, Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle, said he'd done half the things he wanted to accomplish this weekend; and today he accomplished the other half by earning his first career Jetta TDI Cup victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Sierra Lendle earned the checkered flag after going wire-to-wire today as he led the field in each of the race's 19 laps.

"Finally after three years in the Series I earned my first win," said Sierra Lendle after the race.  "I've been close to winning several times and to get the win today is just fantastic.  I felt great behind the wheel and the car handled very well all afternoon. I knew I'd built up a slight lead, so I tried to stay calm and run a smart race.  Fortunately, I did just that and I finally found my way into Victory Lane.  My family was able to come from Mexico to watch the race this weekend, and I can't think of a better present to give my mother on Mother's Day."

Following Sierra Lendle, who is now in his third season with the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, were two rookies, Arie Ouimet and Chris Wehrheim who finished second and third respectively. Ouimet is the 2010 Volkswagen Karting Scholarship winner, which he earned by achieving a top spot competing against 32 other karting candidates for an opportunity to attend the Volkswagen driver selection event in Las Vegas. Aside from the distinction of claiming this prestigious title, Ouimet also received a $45,000 scholarship to compete in the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup season.

In addition to a first place trophy and the distinction of being the season's second winner (Ryan Ellis won back-to-back in Round One & Two at VIR two weeks ago), Sierra Lendle also received another unique memento from the event.  World-renowned skateboarder and this weekend's guest driver, Rune Glifberg, presented Sierra Lendle with a "Rune Glifberg Edition" signature model Flip skateboard, which he autographed in the Winner's Circle.

Jetta TDI Cup News & Notes:

Progress Through the Entire Field

Today marked the third of ten Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup events to be run in the 2010 season.  As this Series is designed to groom 25 young, up and coming drivers for careers in professional racing, it's important to continuously take stock of the on-track product.

"To have two rookies on the podium in just the third event of the year is fantastic," said Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Chief Instructor, Jan Heylen.  "Arie (Ouimet) ran a great race, especially since it's only his second race weekend behind the wheel of a Jetta TDI Cup car.  We knew he had talent, as he was selected as the Volkswagen Karting Scholarship winner, and he's certainly proven his skill today.  I couldn't be more pleased with his and Chris' (Wehrheim) race out there today.  I think the entire field is improving and I'm very, very pleased with the level at which they're performing.  The only issue today, was that we had a bit of questionable side-by-side racing, which may have been a bit too close.  But, you know what, that's racing – it's an intense sport.  We also saw a lot of good, clean passes out there today too.  All in all, I'm happy with the progress everyone has made in just three races."

"As far as the race winner goes, the victory couldn't have gone to a more deserving driver," Heylen continued.  "Juan Pablo (Sierra Lendle) was fast all weekend; he won the pole and led every lap – clearly he was the one to beat.  He's been close to victory so many times in his Jetta TDI Cup career and it's just wonderful he was finally able to break though and notch the win."

Skateboarding Legend, Rune Glifberg Completes First Career Auto Race

Before today, professional skateboarder, Rune Glifberg had logged plenty of hours at racing schools, but never competed in a race.  While serving as today's guest driver, the 2008 & 2009 X-Games gold medal winner and Oakley-sponsored athlete earned a 21st place finish after turning in a solid performance in his motorsports debut.

"I really had a lot of fun out there," said Glifberg.  "I think I was able to learn a considerable amount throughout the weekend and overall, it was a great experience.  The standing start at the beginning of the race was very exciting, what an amazing way to get things going.  As the race went on, I found myself running a bit behind the lead pack, so I just made sure to run consistently and watch my mirrors to make sure I didn't get lapped.  The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup is truly a great Series, these drivers are so talented – I saw plenty of close, competitive racing today and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to participate."

Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Results: Round Three

New Jersey Motorsports Park

Follow the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Series action on:

www.vwmotorsportusa.com

Volkswagen Online Newsroom: media.vw.com  

Live Timing & Scoring: http://livetiming.net/scca/VW

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Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/JettaTDICup

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About the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup

The SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup was launched in 2008 as way to introduce clean diesel technology to the U.S. market and develop the best of motorsport's up-and-coming talent. During the season, young, up and coming drivers (between ages 16-26) compete on road courses around North America in identical factory-prepared clean diesel powered Jetta TDI's. Each driver competing in the Series earns a professional racing license from SCCA Pro Racing at the conclusion of the season. In addition to more than $50,000 in prize money at stake during the season, the Series Champion receives Volkswagen factory career advancement support with a value up to $100,000.

The Jetta TDI Cup car is powered by a 2.0-liter, 170 hp, four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine mated to a six-speed, double-clutch, automatic DSG transmission. The car is only slightly modified from stock with Pirelli racing tires, race suspension and brake components, drivers racing safety seat, FIA roll cage and an on-board fire extinguisher system. Series sponsors include: Pirelli, Bosch, ViON, Castrol, Oakley, Red Bull, Staubli, Aggreko, defNder, Lamin-X, Volkswagen Driver Gear, Volkswagen Parts & Service, iRacing, Safety-Kleen and Ringer Gloves.

About Volkswagen of America

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Golf, GTI, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Eos, Passat, Passat Wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2010 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.

About SCCA Pro Racing:

A wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., SCCA Pro Racing Inc. is a leading sanctioning body for motorsports events in the United States. A member of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), SCCA Pro Racing operates and sanctions the World Challenge Championships, the SCCA Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup, SCCA Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, SCCA Pro Trans-Am Series, Spec Racer Ford Pro Series and Formula Enterprises Pro Series. For more information, please visit www.sccapro.com.

SOURCE Volkswagen of America, Inc.