Racing VW's TDI Clean Diesels
By Todd Kaho
Ryan Arciero has the Jetta’s accelerator pinned to the floorboard and is toggling through the six speed DSG automatic transmission while carving a clean line around Virginia International Raceway. I’m strapped into the Recaro seat next to him. The goal: to get a sense of what 30 drivers will experience the next day when the green flag drops on the first race in the new TDI Cup race series. Average speed of the Jettas around this famous road course is over 87 mph with top speeds well into the triple digits.
Now, wait a minute. Didn’t anyone tell Volkswagen that going green shouldn’t be this much fun? Apparently not, because the new TDI Cup does an exceptional job of proving that diesel done right is a green avenue that doesn’t require sacrifice while doing the right thing for the environment. VW CEO Stefan Jacoby called the series good clean fun, adding that “not only will the young drivers gain real-life track experience in a factory prepared race vehicle, it will allow them to develop their own mindset of today’s clean diesel technology and foster increased awareness of its advantages in this new era of environmental sensitivity.”
The TDI Cup is the first all diesel race series. Sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), this developmental series is designed to further the racing careers of up-and-coming drivers between the ages of 16 and 26. And the competition is intense, with 30 identical factory prepared 2009 VW Jetta TDI clean diesels taking the track at once in an all-out 30 minute sprint race.
The cars are impressive. Power is supplied by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder powerplant that’s been mildly recalibrated to produce 170 horsepower and, more importantly, nearly 300 lbs-ft of torque. Running through a double-clutch DSG six-speed transmission, adapted gear reduction sets, and differential locks, these cars are faster than you might think. The Jettas are lowered and equipped with race tuned suspensions and massive four-wheel disc brakes from the Audi R8 parts bin. The lateral G-forces felt during our hot laps around the twisty, 3.27-mile long VIR road course attest to how well these cars handle. They are running wide P240/640-18 Michelin racing slicks for dry track conditions, or race rain tires if the Jettas need to run in wet weather.
When was the last time you saw a race car with a carbonfund.org endorsement decal? Probably never, we’d wager. The TDI Cup cars all have them, as do the transport tractor-trailer rigs, because VW partnered with Carbonfund.org to certify the entire race series as carbon free.
So what do the drivers hope to gain from the TDI Cup experience? In addition to honing their racing skill at a very professional level, the winner at the end of the race series will be awarded $100,000 from VW to allow them to advance to the next level of racing. If the driver lands a professional level team driving contract within six months of winning the TDI Cup series, an additional $150,000 bonus will also be awarded. The drivers all must qualify for the TDI Cup and there is a $35,000 fee to enter, but that’s a real bargain for this professional level of competition and the opportunity it holds.
With Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine and Volkswagen CEO Stefan Jacoby in attendance, the inaugural race was fittingly kicked off with “Max,” the black 1964 VW Bug from VWs latest commercials, serving as the pace car. The young drivers certainly didn’t disappoint. With identical power and handling performance, driving skill is what wins a spec race. The first race had more contact than anticipated and drivers muscled their way to the front in a show of intense race action.
The spec cars run with turbochargers and VW’s full 50-state legal exhaust system with particulate filter and NOx trap. We found the TDIs eerily quiet on the racetrack, with the howl of the cars’ tires often heard above the exhaust, intake noise, and occasional fender banging.
When the checkered flag dropped, 25 year old Mark Pombo from Duluth, Georgia emerged the winner, followed by podium finishers Derek Jones from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in second and Jimmy Underhill of Denver, Colorado in third. From Virginia, the TDI Cup travels to Mosport International Raceway, Portland International Raceway, Lime Rock Park, Iowa Speedway, New Jersey Motorsports Park, and then wrap up the season at Road Atlanta on October 3rd.
If you think going green means sacrifice, then you really should check out a TDI Cup race. Even at racing speeds often in excess of 100 mph, the clean diesel TDI Jettas deliver better than 25 mpg with 50-state legal emissions and carbon-free certification. That’s a solid indication of how far diesel technology has come and a real testament to VW’s prowess in the clean diesel arena.
Want to know more about advanced engine technologies? Be sure to check out these articles on GreenCar.com:
VW's Breakthrough 69 MPG Diesel Hybrid
The Difference Between Diesel and Gasoline Engines
Volkswagen 1-Liter 235 MPG Extreme Fuel Efficiency Car
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