Vishnu Prasad wins 2011 Volkswagen Polo R Cup

  • Dec 1, 2011
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Guest driver and former National Rally Champion Sunny Sidhu won the final race of the 2011 season, while Pune lad Oshan Kothadiya's remarkable consistency and impressive race pace throughout the season earned him the runners-up position in the championship


Volkswagen Polo R Cup 2011 - Round 6 - Race 2 in action

Close to 1,600 registered entries for the competition, narrowed down to just 20 drivers for the start of the second season, and finally after 6 intensive rounds of scintillating race action the 2011 Volkswagen Polo R Cup has come to its destined ending, but certainly not without its share of bumps and bangs along the way.

The suspense leading up to the final round in Chennai that took place between the 26th and 27th of November 2011, was all doused in the mathematics of the points table, whose ultimate fate would be left undecided right up until the chequered flag was left waving at the end of Race 2.

The build up to the final race had all the making of fantastic finisher, with Goa driver Avdumber Hede, standing 4th in the overall championship at the time taking full advantage of the rather damp conditions from the previous days qualifying round. Avdumber’s uncanny control in wet conditions saw him breeze past the competition and secure the pole position for Race 1.

Rains added a twist

Race 1:

Drips and drizzles are the bane of most racing drivers’ the world over, unless of course you’re a 2 time All India Karting champion with a knack for wet tracks. With his diesel injected race Polo at the front of the grid, Avdumber led the first race, which was forced to take a 10 lap short loop route on account of the damp conditions from the previous days rain, leaving parts of the track partially untreadable and hazardous for competitive racing.

With just 12 points separating him from race leader Vishnu Prasad, Pune driver Oshan Kothadiya hit the pedal hard very early in race 1, as he overtook Vishnu on the very first corner of the first lap. Despite his best efforts Vishnu was unsuccessful in regaining his runners up position in Race 1, and 10 laps later it was Avdumber in Car No.2, who left nothing to chance and maintained his race line beautifully, going on to win the first race of Round 6. Avdumber’s blistering pace on the wet Sriperumbudur tarmac also earned him the fastest lap of the race, a time of 1:14:808 minutes.

Volkswagen Polo R Cup 2011 Champion Vishnu Prasad in Action during Race Two of Round Six

Finishing in 2nd place, a scant 1.994 seconds behind the race winner was Oshan Kothadiya, who in his constant pursuit of Avdumber managed to widen the gap between him and Vishnu by about 10 seconds. Vishnu took the final place on the podium coming in at No.3, with an overall race time of 00:19:10:284, 11.941 seconds behind Avdumber. Behind him Ajay Kini and championship contender Rahil Noorani finished in 4th and 5th places respectively.

Thrilled at the result, Race 1 winner, Avdumber said, “The qualifying on the wet track on Saturday was tough as I was trying to get the right pressure in the tyres. I was aware of the championship contenders’ right behind me but I was looking behind during the first two laps trying to locate them and judge the gap. After the second lap, I just looked ahead and never looked back.”

Of the four guest drivers taking part in the championship’s final round, Xie Jiawu (Polo Cup China Driver) finished in 7th place, followed by Sunny Sidhu (former National Rally Champion) who completed his first race of the 2011 Polo Cup Season in 8th place. Fan Huaying (Polo Cup China Driver) and Maiken Rasmussen (German Scirocco R Cup Driver) crossed the finish line with the tail in 16th and 18th position respectively. 

Race 1 results:

1. Avdumber Hede    00:18:58.343

2. Oshan Kothadiya   00:19:00.337

3. Vishnu Prasad        00:19:10.284

Maiken Rasmussen in car 26 during the race two of Round Six of Volkswagen Polo R Cup 2011
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Race 2:

The results in Race 1 were anything but what the race pundits had predicted. Avdumber’s clean sweep was as capricious as the dark clouds that gloomed over the 3.1 km race track for the second and final race of the season. With Avdumber’s Race 1 victory points pushing him up to the 3rd place in the championship over Oshan, the difference of just 1 point between them was too little too much to swallow at the start of the final race. A reverse start in Race 2 however, put Oshan in a slightly advantageous position (7th); one place ahead of Avdumber on the starting grid. 

Rookie racer Rahil Noorani, whose stupendous form in his inaugural Volkswagen Polo R Cup season up until Round 5 earned him the second place in the championship, ended his first race in Round 6 with a decent result (5th place). With three race wins in the championship already under his belt, Rahil’s potential to end the season on a high was anticipated by many. 

But in the last race, where a podium finish was so critical to his final place in the championship, Rahil lost control of his car after being bumped by driver Ajay Kini during the first few laps of Race 2, and with the black and orange flag waving for his damaged car’s return to the pits, Rahil’s hopes of becoming a Polo Cup champion were pretty much dissolved with Sunday’s rain. 

Veteran Racer Sunny Sidhu in action during Race Two of Round Six of Volkswagen Polo R Cup 2001

Talking of the rain that was pouring down on the 22 Race Polo’s in their final attempt at glory, it was time for the guests to take over party proceedings. As a Former National Rally Champion Sunny Sidhu and international Scirocco R-Cup woman driver Maiken Rasmussen (who incidentally started 18th on the grid for Race 2) brought all their vast experience of racing in severe grip wavering wet conditions to the absolute forefront as they flushed through a fleet of talented young drivers, leaving nothing more than a trail of water spray for their windshield wipers to sweep clean.

However, with Rahil out of the race, Vishnu kept his focus on finishing the race in a respectable position. Mihir Dharkar meanwhile held on to his place among the top three, and did a great job of keeping pace with Sunny and Maiken as they crossed the finish line in quick succession. The wet track on the final race day, though not the ideal racing conditions for most, set the stage for something special, and ultimately resulted in the top 7 drivers finishing the race with less than a 5 second gap separating them.

Winner of Race Two, Sunny Sidhu said, “I am very thankful to Volkswagen for giving me this opportunity to race at the Volkswagen Polo R Cup. It has been a wonderful experience and the Race Polo is a well made car and it handled really well. I would like to congratulate the champion and wish him all the best for his racing career.

(L-R)Winners of Race Two of Round Six of the Vokswagen Polo R Cup 2011 - Maiken Rasmussen, Sunny Sidhu and Mihir Dharkar with Dr. John Chacko the podium

Race 2 results:

1. Sunny Sidhu       00:19:48:996

2. Maiken Rasmussen  00:19:50.219

3. Mihir Dharkar  00:19:50.495

After having digested the reality of becoming the 2011 Volkswagen Polo R Cup Champion, Vishnu Prasad said, “I am thrilled to win the 2011 Volkswagen Polo R Cup Championship in what has been an excellent season for me. This year has been really hard as the competition has been so evenly matched. I would like to thank Volkswagen for organizing a great championship and for all the help they have provided me with over the year.”

2011 VW POLO R CUP: FINAL STANDINGS 

1       Vishnu Prasad       388    

2       Oshan Kothadiya     376    

3       Avdumber Hede        359    

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