VW Driver Search in full swing

The Volkswagen Race Driver Search semi-finals got under way with the Top Eight qualifiers in action at the Gerotek test facility outside Pretoria Monday 24 October.

The Eight assembled at Kyalami on Sunday to watch the Grand Prix Circuit’s inaugural races, including a bruising Engen Volkswagen Polo Cup encounter that the Search winner will be thrust into next year, for a little extra motivation, before being bussed to an overnight venue near Hartbeestpoort, where they watched the US Grand Prix on TV together before

Race Driver Search activities commenced Monday Morning, with a driving lecture followed by a driving module where the Eight were judged on their practical application of the skills they were taught in Academy modules on the Gerotek Dynamic Handling track. Then it was on to the Gerotek Straight Track after lunch, where the lads were put to the slalom test once again driving Volkswagen Golf GTIs under the constant eye of the judges, who are monitoring the top eight’s every move in and out of the car.

The Search Drivers return to the overnight venue Monday evening, where they will be subjected to a fitness test before further driving exercised Tuesday morning.

The judges will then convene and the Volkswagen Race Driver Search top eight will be culled and the Top Four will be announced Tuesday afternoon, before the Driver Search packs up and heads off to Delmas and the Red Star Raceway for a series of competitive driving exercises that will narrow the field down to the two Finalists, who will then go on to drive off for that Engen Volkswagen Polo Cup race seat in a series in real races later in November.

The Volkswagen Race Driver Search Top Eight are, in alphabetical order; Ayrton Good, Ebrahim Jood and Jerone Kelly; Jonathan Mogotsi, Rishay Moodley and Ryan Rhode; Shivesh Bissoon and Siyabonga Mankonkwana.

The Volkswagen Race Driver Search seeks to find, nurture and develop South Africa’s future motor racing talent. Run in conjunction with Motorsport South Africa, the various modules not only serve to train all candidates on the many driving, theoretical and practical aspects they will deal with in their future race careers, but the process will select the top driver and reward him with that prized Engen VW Polo Cup drive.