Zimpapers Logo

Sports Reporter
A YOUNG, unheralded Zimbabwean motor racing driver Kuda Vazhure is moving mountains in the South African circuit racing scene.

According to reports from South Africa, Vazhure is teaming up with that country’s crowd favourite and former motor rally driver Gugu Zulu of VW and four other top-notch drivers in a strategic partnership aimed at, not only cleaning up the soiled image (from exhaust emission issues), but raising the profile of the VW brand on the African continent.

In fact, for two decades Engen Volkswagen Cup has been Volkswagen’s focus in circuit racing. This changes dramatically from 2016.

“Volkswagen Motorsport will continue with Engen Volkswagen Cup and the very successful relationship with Engen that has existed since the start of the series,” says Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport, in a Press release.

“This year we celebrate 20 years of Engen Volkswagen Cup with Engen and our other motorsport partners in the series.

“Now we add the GTC (Global Touring Cars) championship to our circuit racing involvement — supporting four entries in this series, but there is much more to the programme going forward.”

Gugu Zulu and Graeme Nathan will compete for Volkswagen Motorsport in the Volkswagen Jetta GTC cars while Mathew Hodges and Mandla Mdakane will pilot the Volkswagen Golf GTIs. Both the Jetta and Golf GTI will make use of Volkswagen’s 2.0 turbocharged engine for competition in the series.

Each of the racers have a history with Volkswagen Motorsport, with Zulu most recently competing in national motor rallies in South Africa, Nathan being a national championship winner and a regular in the Volkswagen GTI for circuit racing, Hodges a national Engen Volkswagen Cup champion and Mdakane also a previous Engen Volkswagen Cup racer.

For the first time, Engen Volkswagen Cup racing will have a Volkswagen Motorsport-backed entry. Here Zimbabwean Kuda Vazhure will compete with both VW Motorsport backing and support from the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile).

“With our increased focus on circuit racing this year, a number of drivers will compete under the Volkswagen Motorsport banner,” says Rowe.

“Getting support from the FIA for our talent development and transformation plan attracts more international focus to the series this year. Continued attention from the rest of the world for our local racers can only be good for our motorsport initiatives.”

“The seat that Mathew has in the GTC Volkswagen Golf GTI this year is reserved for the Engen Volkswagen Cup champion going forward,” says Rowe. “Since 2015 champion Sheldon van der Linde competes in the 2016 Audi Sport TT Cup in Europe this season, Mathew drives this year and the 2016 champion will take over next season.”

Nathan has built up a formidable reputation as a Volkswagen GTI driver in the Production Car Championship.

Zulu has won national rally championship titles with Volkswagen Motorsport — but also has a strong background in circuit racing.

Hodges is one of the few Engen Volkswagen Cup racers to win consecutive titles in the series and Mdakane is a promising young motorsport talent that has shown a great deal of growth and has competed both locally and in Asia.

The Engen Volkswagen Cup championship starts at Zwartkops Raceway this coming Saturday and the GTC championship will get underway at Scribante on June 4.