PoloDriver

Following Marklund Motorsport’s announcement of the signing of Global Rallycross Championship winner Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen, the Swedish outfit has teamed up with Volkswagen Motorsport to mount a factory-approved assault on the 2014 FIA Global Rallycross Championship.

The start of a three-year partnership, Heikkinen and current Marklund Motorsport driver Anton Marklund will drive newly-developed Polo RX Supercars. The series kicks off in Montalegre, Portugal on 3 May.

‘Rallycross is attracting ever-increasing levels of attention in Europe and overseas and is one of the fastest growing motorsport disciplines,’ said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito.

‘The races are short and sweet, the cars are spectacular and look like factory models. Marklund Motorsport ranks among the most ambitious independent teams and has single-handedly developed the Polo RX Supercar for the 2014 FIA RallyCross World Championship.

‘Jan Marklund’s professional approach was our condition before embarking on this collaboration, in which Volkswagen Motorsport provides the team experience and expertise from rally sport,’ he continued.

Jan Marklund, Marklund Motorsport team owner, added: ‘Volkswagen’s pedigree in motorsport is there for everyone to see, there is no better manufacturer for us to be partnered with than the current WRC champions.

‘Volkswagen is looking to make an immediate global impact in the world of rallycross and I’m happy that Marklund Motorsport is their chosen partner for the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

‘We will now continue the hard work we have put in so far this pre-season and with the support of Volkswagen we are very much looking forward to delivering results from the first race of the new season.’

The Polo has proved its motorsport pedigree, winning the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship and with this announcement, its race-winning credentials cannot be denied.

It looks to be another exciting year for the Polo in motorsport, and we look forward to bringing all the Polo action from motorsport events around the world.

Continue Reading

Fresh from its debut season running Volkswagen Polo Supercars, rallycross team Marklund Motorsport has announced that Global Rallycross and double X Games champion Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen has signed with the Swedish outfit.

For 2014, the FIA European Rallycross Championship has become a global series, and Heikkinen will join Anton Marklund in a 500+bhp rallycross-prepared Polo.

The 22 year-old Finn will lead Marklund’s charge for the upcoming season and he and Marklund will debut new for 2014 Volkswagen Polo RX Supercars which are currently being built in the team’s workshops.

Heikkinen helped test and develop the car last season. After investment, team manager Jan Marklund believes Heikkinen will allow Marklund Motorsport to enter the new world championship as immediate title contenders.

‘Signing Topi shows the sort of progress that Marklund Motorsport is making going into the new season. His results speak for themselves and we are incredibly happy to have a champion leading our driver lineup,’ Marklund commented.

‘It’s a very exciting period in our project and shows the hard work and planning that we have put in is really paying off.’

Heikkinen agreed. ‘After a successful year winning the 2013 Global Rallycross Championship, my goal now is to win the new FIA World Rallycross Championship with Marklund Motorsport, and nothing less.

‘I’m confident that together we can develop a winning car and team. I want to thank Jan Marklund for this great opportunity to join Marklund Motorsport. I’m pumped for the season ahead.’

Existing Polo driver Anton Marklund battled against Topi in last year’s GRC and at each Global X Games and is fully aware of the talent and fighting spirit his new teammate possesses.

‘Topi is a great driver and a real competitor – I’m looking forward to working with him and seeing what this season brings.

‘We have been working extremely hard over the last 12 months and securing a driver as talented as Topi is testament to the incredible development the team has made. We want to win and be the best team in Rallycross,’ he said.

Marklund Motorsport has recently announced that it is helping develop Polo RX Supercars for the new Andretti Autosports team until its pair of Volkswagen Beetle Supercars are ready later in the season.

Continue Reading

With just a month until the South African National Rally Championship gets underway, Volkswagen Sasolracing is looking forward to the challenges 2014 may bring.

The first event is in KwaZulu-Natal and there will be three Polo S2000s fielded by the German carmaker, who last week announced a new driver line-up.

Henk Lategan will pair with Pierre Arries for 2014, and will drive a Polo S2000, building on his first year in the series during 2013. Lategan’s previous co-driver, Barry White, takes on a non-competitive role for Volkswagen Sasolracing in 2014.

Joining Lategan are longstanding pairing Gugu Zulu and Carl Peskin. Moving up to the premier S2000 class, they trade in their Polo Vivo S2000 Challenge car for a full-fat fifth-generation-based Polo rally car.

The final combination of drivers, Hans Weijs Jnr and Björn Degandt, saw Volkswagen Sasolracing action during 2012. Now they join the team for the duration of 2014, and will travel to South Africa for each round of the championship.

Previous Polo S2000 drivers Hergen Fekken, Enzo Kuun and Douglass Judd departed the Volkswagen Sasolracing team at the end of 2013.

‘For the Volkswagen Sasolracing team the competitor line-up this season has been carefully selected to create a strong and balanced challenge for the national championship,’ said Mike Rowe, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport.

‘We have made a careful selection of talent and experience to create a team that is young, energetic and holds significant promise for the future.

‘Hans’ and Björn’s presence during the 2012 season gained the local rally championship a lot of attention from Europe. Returning to the field should provide another boost for our local profile and they will add diversity and interest.’

Rowe continued: ‘I can confirm at this stage is the inclusion of a number of exciting, young privateer teams who will be competing on the national stage in Volkswagen Polo rally cars.’

The newcomers will be led by Thilo Himmel and Armand du Toit who will tackle the S2000 Challenge category.

In the S1600 class Paulus Franken, Marco Himmel, Chad van Beurden and AC Potgieter, along with each of their navigators will keep this category highly competitive.

Continue Reading

With two previous Rally Sweden victories under his belt, Jari-Matti Latavala was aiming for a hat-trick at the Scandinavian round of the 2014 World Rally Championship, run from 5-8 February. And with his second victory for Volkswagen Motorsport, he got it.

Fighting an exciting duel with team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen saw the Finn emerge victorious, while his Norweigan foe took second. The Swedish forests weren’t kind to world champion Sébastien Ogier, though, who after suffering an off into a snow bank, finished sixth.

Volkswagen’s second one-two of the season came in difficult conditions, with milder than expected weather thawing out the snow-covered tracks, making grip difficult. The Polo R WRC proved it mettle once again, though, taking the top 43 of 69 possible top three times, 18 of which were stage wins.

There were even moments when all three Volkswagen driver pairings were in the top three of the Rally Sweden leaderboard, wiping the floor with their competitors. Latvala’s victory also propelled him to the top of the Drivers’ Championship table (for the first time), five points ahead of Ogier.

> Read More

Continue Reading

The 2014 World Rally Championship (WRC) season got off to a magical start for Volkswagen Motorsport last weekend, as reigning champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia took victory at Rallye Monte Carlo. The opening round win was the second Monte triumph for the French pair in Polo R WRC chassis no 17, their 17th in the WRC, and their 10th with Volkswagen Motorsport.

It was good news for the other two Volkswagen Motorsport crews, too, with Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finishing fifth in Polo R WRC chassis no 18, while Andreas Mikkelsen and Mikko Markkula took chassis no 15 to seventh place in the final classification.

Behind Ogier and Ingrassia (also fastest in the pre-event shakedown test ahead of the first day), Ford Fiesta driver Bryan Bouffier finished second, while Irishman Kris Meeke of Citroën filled the last place on the podium.

Rallye Monte Carlo didn’t start well, with Ogier and Ingrassia down in ninth place on the first day, due to ever-changing weather conditions. The onset of winter in the French Maritime Alps saw snow and heavy rain in the valleys.

Based on weather data available at the time, the Polo R WRC drivers opted for tread-free slicks for the first three stages, leaving them struggling for grip on the slippery surfaces.

It was then the fightback began. Posting top-three fastest times from stage five onwards, Ogier and Ingrassia then won seven special stages. By the mid-point of the event, they were back in the lead, passing Bouffier.

With the action moving to the legendary Col de Turini on day three, heavy snow and blizzard conditions meant that stage 14 had to be cancelled by the time the second loop was due to commence.

> Read More

Continue Reading