VW enters factory team in GTP

VOLKSWAGEN will launch a factory attack on the 2001 Australian GTP Production Car Racing Championship with two New Beetle RSi models.

The drivers will be 28 year-old Matthew Coleman from Melbourne, Victoria and 24 year-old Tim Leahey who lives in Orange, NSW.

The Volkswagen Racing team will be based at Volkswagen Group Australia's corporate headquarters in Alexandria, NSW.

The RSi is the high performance Beetle model sold in Europe and Japan. It is available in two versions - a 2.8-litre V6 front-wheel-drive model and a 3.4-litre V6 with all-wheel-drive.

In its first year of competition, Volkswagen will race the front-wheel-drive Beetle RSi model in Class B of the GTP Production Car Championship.

The all-wheel drive version will be campaigned in 2002.

For Coleman, the drive in Volkswagen factory team comes after his strong showings in 1999 as part of the Audi Super Touring squad.

"There's no doubt GTP Production Car Racing is one of the real growth areas of the sport the category has found a real niche with all sorts of different production-based vehicles lining up to do battle," Coleman said.

"I know Volkswagen is very serious and committed to this two-car factory team and I hope, with some testing between now and the first race, we will be competitive with the established front runners in Class B."Following a successful career in karts and Formula Ford, last year Tim Leahey further enhanced his growing reputation with outings in V8 Supercar racing for both the Caterpillar Racing Ford squad and Garry Rogers' Valvoline Holden Team.

The debut race for Volkswagen Racing will be at the Clipsal 500 meeting in Adelaide on 8th April.