CARS GLOBALMAG August 2016 | Page 96

BORN IN THE USA… MILESTONES: FROM THE TOURING CAR SCHOOL TO THE DAKAR AND WRC TREBLE Volkswagen also made its mark in touring car racing and, of course, rallying. From 1988 to 2014, many young drivers learned the A to Z of motor racing in the touring car school. On top of this came class victories at the Nürburgring 24 Hours with a natural gaspowered Scirocco GT24. And let’s not forget Volkswagen’s unique run of success at the iconic Dakar Rally, at which the team claimed a hat-trick of wins with the Race Touareg from 2009 to 2011. The pinnacle of the manufacturer’s success on the motorsport scene followed when it entered the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Three years in a row – from 2013 to 2015 – Volkswagen won all three titles with the Polo R WRC: the Manufacturers’ Championship plus the Driver and Co-Drivers’ Championships with works drivers Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia (F/F). Volkswagen is keen to continue this success story in the future. Keke Rosberg Formel V Driver in 1973 Kenneth Eriksson and Peter Diekmann during the 1986 Rally Neuseeland