wikedgolf
05-20-2005, 09:28 PM
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Volkswagen starts the Moroccan Rally between 25th and 19th
May, the third round of the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup, with three Race-Touareg prototypes. Alongside World Cup leaders Bruno Saby/Michel Périn (France), winners of the World Cup season opener in South America, the lady duo Jutta Kleinschmidt/Fabrizia Pons (Germany/Italy) roll over the start ramp in the Moroccan capital Agadir. The recently signed South African Giniel de Villiers and his Swedish co-driver Tina Thörner will also make their competition debut in the powerful 260 hp Race-Touareg.
Ex-World Champion Carlos Sainz tests Volkswagen Race-Touareg
The Volkswagen Motorsport team prepared for its fourth Cross Country Rally event this year with tests in Morocco. “Jutta Kleinschmidt and Giniel de Villiers tested various suspension set-ups and collected important data in the processâ€, explains Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “We successfully tested the latest development step of our engine during endurance tests afterwards. It was a good test we are extremely satisfied.â€
On the fourth and final test day a rally champion paid the Volkswagen works team a visit:
Carlos Sainz, World Rally Champion in 1990 and 1992 and with 26 victories the most successful World Rally Championship driver, drove the Volkswagen Race-Touareg. “Carlos Sainz has been interested in Cross Country Rallying for a long time and is toying with the idea of competing in another form of rallying after the end of his fantastic career in the classic World Rally Championshipâ€, says Kris Nissen. “We gave him the chance to test the Race-Touareg during a test. The test was very interesting and successful for both parties.â€
Five former Morocco winners in Volkswagen team
Volkswagen has five previous Moroccan winners within its ranks with de Villiers, Thörner, Saby, Périn and Pons. Bruno Saby, who leads the Cross Country Rally World Cup by eleven points after the first third of the season together with his co-driver Michel Périn, raves about the Moroccan Rally. “This is my favourite event in the cross country calendar. I adore the land and its people, and, in addition, the tracks are extremely varied.†The latest developments made to the Volkswagen Race-Touareg also make Saby optimistic, who has won a total of six stage victories since the start of the 2005 season. “The whole team has worked exceptionally well, and the previous tests were very encouraging. We have again made step in the right direction.â€
Volkswagen works driver Jutta Kleinschmidt, second in Morocco in 2001: “The tracks, which run from Agadir following the Atlantic coastline all the way to Laayoune in the south, are similar to those of the Dakar Rally. We can expect loads of sand and dunes there, but also just as much rough terrain, and not forgetting a portion of very demanding navigation.â€
Her motto is: “For us it is question of attacking from the first metre, since the event, with only five day, is relatively short and therefore rather like a sprint rally.†The German reached the finish in every one of her previous ten starts for the Volkswagen team. “That proves just how reliable our Race-Touareg is and how professionally the team works.†At the Dakar Rally in January, Kleinschmidt, together with her Italian co-driver Fabrizia Pons, clinched the first podium finish for a diesel vehicle in the desert classic.
The South African Giniel de Villiers and the Swede Tina Thörner are particularly looking forward to the Moroccan Rally, which covers a total of 1,425 kilometres over the course of five days. New signing de Villiers: “Of all the rallies, I’m happy that Volkswagen has given me the chance to start in this one, particularly as I celebrated my first Cross Country Rally World Cup win in this event two years ago.†Co-driver Tina Thörner adds: “This time it’s more a question of us gaining as much experience and covering as many kilometres as possible in the Race-Touareg to prepare ourselves as well as possible for the Dakar Rally in January 2006. We are really looking forward to our first competitive event with
Volkswagen and the Race-Touareg.â€
Preparation for the 2006 Dakar Rally remains very much in focus
Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen is chasing several goals at the same time at the Moroccan Rally: “It would be great to fight for the victory again. However, ideal preparation for the Dakar Rally in January 2005 is the main priority. We want to test the new engine and suspension related development steps in competitionâ€, say Kris Nissen further. “Since the Tunisian event in April we have continued to work on the drivability of the engine and have optimised the Volkswagen Race-Touareg suspension for the socalled camel grass tracks. As well as testing new technical developments, it is obviously also a question of preparing the enlarged team perfectly for the 2006 Dakar Rally and to give the drivers and co-driver the opportunity to cover as many competition kilometres as
possible.â€
Bottom Right Caption:
Volkswagen works driver Giniel de Villiers
Volkswagen starts the Moroccan Rally between 25th and 19th
May, the third round of the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup, with three Race-Touareg prototypes. Alongside World Cup leaders Bruno Saby/Michel Périn (France), winners of the World Cup season opener in South America, the lady duo Jutta Kleinschmidt/Fabrizia Pons (Germany/Italy) roll over the start ramp in the Moroccan capital Agadir. The recently signed South African Giniel de Villiers and his Swedish co-driver Tina Thörner will also make their competition debut in the powerful 260 hp Race-Touareg.
Ex-World Champion Carlos Sainz tests Volkswagen Race-Touareg
The Volkswagen Motorsport team prepared for its fourth Cross Country Rally event this year with tests in Morocco. “Jutta Kleinschmidt and Giniel de Villiers tested various suspension set-ups and collected important data in the processâ€, explains Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “We successfully tested the latest development step of our engine during endurance tests afterwards. It was a good test we are extremely satisfied.â€
On the fourth and final test day a rally champion paid the Volkswagen works team a visit:
Carlos Sainz, World Rally Champion in 1990 and 1992 and with 26 victories the most successful World Rally Championship driver, drove the Volkswagen Race-Touareg. “Carlos Sainz has been interested in Cross Country Rallying for a long time and is toying with the idea of competing in another form of rallying after the end of his fantastic career in the classic World Rally Championshipâ€, says Kris Nissen. “We gave him the chance to test the Race-Touareg during a test. The test was very interesting and successful for both parties.â€
Five former Morocco winners in Volkswagen team
Volkswagen has five previous Moroccan winners within its ranks with de Villiers, Thörner, Saby, Périn and Pons. Bruno Saby, who leads the Cross Country Rally World Cup by eleven points after the first third of the season together with his co-driver Michel Périn, raves about the Moroccan Rally. “This is my favourite event in the cross country calendar. I adore the land and its people, and, in addition, the tracks are extremely varied.†The latest developments made to the Volkswagen Race-Touareg also make Saby optimistic, who has won a total of six stage victories since the start of the 2005 season. “The whole team has worked exceptionally well, and the previous tests were very encouraging. We have again made step in the right direction.â€
Volkswagen works driver Jutta Kleinschmidt, second in Morocco in 2001: “The tracks, which run from Agadir following the Atlantic coastline all the way to Laayoune in the south, are similar to those of the Dakar Rally. We can expect loads of sand and dunes there, but also just as much rough terrain, and not forgetting a portion of very demanding navigation.â€
Her motto is: “For us it is question of attacking from the first metre, since the event, with only five day, is relatively short and therefore rather like a sprint rally.†The German reached the finish in every one of her previous ten starts for the Volkswagen team. “That proves just how reliable our Race-Touareg is and how professionally the team works.†At the Dakar Rally in January, Kleinschmidt, together with her Italian co-driver Fabrizia Pons, clinched the first podium finish for a diesel vehicle in the desert classic.
The South African Giniel de Villiers and the Swede Tina Thörner are particularly looking forward to the Moroccan Rally, which covers a total of 1,425 kilometres over the course of five days. New signing de Villiers: “Of all the rallies, I’m happy that Volkswagen has given me the chance to start in this one, particularly as I celebrated my first Cross Country Rally World Cup win in this event two years ago.†Co-driver Tina Thörner adds: “This time it’s more a question of us gaining as much experience and covering as many kilometres as possible in the Race-Touareg to prepare ourselves as well as possible for the Dakar Rally in January 2006. We are really looking forward to our first competitive event with
Volkswagen and the Race-Touareg.â€
Preparation for the 2006 Dakar Rally remains very much in focus
Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen is chasing several goals at the same time at the Moroccan Rally: “It would be great to fight for the victory again. However, ideal preparation for the Dakar Rally in January 2005 is the main priority. We want to test the new engine and suspension related development steps in competitionâ€, say Kris Nissen further. “Since the Tunisian event in April we have continued to work on the drivability of the engine and have optimised the Volkswagen Race-Touareg suspension for the socalled camel grass tracks. As well as testing new technical developments, it is obviously also a question of preparing the enlarged team perfectly for the 2006 Dakar Rally and to give the drivers and co-driver the opportunity to cover as many competition kilometres as
possible.â€
Bottom Right Caption:
Volkswagen works driver Giniel de Villiers