Colin Thompson Accepted as Youngest Driver Ever To Compete in 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

April 2, 2010 - PRLog -- Dublin, PA – Fifteen-year-old Colin Thompson, a resident of Perkasie, PA was recently accepted as the youngest driver ever to compete in the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. After competing in qualifying races, Thompson was chosen among 3,000 initial applicants as one of the 50 semi finalists to compete in Las Vegas for the finals. From that group, he was then selected to be a part of the 2010 VW Jetta TDI Cup line-up, one of 25 promising drivers.

When asked what he would like to accomplish, Thompson says, “I’m really trying to win the Rookie of the Year honors…to be in the top ten, race clean, learn about the Series and just survive the first year and get to the second. Then I can hopefully finish top in the championship and win.”

Thompson has followed the racing precedent set by his father John and grandfather Jack who run a group of family-owned automotive dealerships in Doylestown. Beginning at the early age of five, his career launched racing Quarter Midgets at Oaklane Speedway in Trumbauersville, PA. He then advanced into road racing with Go Karting and track events. “After that I went to Skip Barber Racing School as well as some other schools and regional races to gain some road racing experience,” says Thompson. When he saw last year’s Volkswagen Cup in New Jersey, he quickly became interested, applied to this year’s Series and participated in the Boston qualifier which led him to the finals in Las Vegas. For three days, he and his racing peers were evaluated through a variety of on- and off-track scenarios to establish skill level, physical fitness, communication, potential and overall ability.

Throughout the Series, Thompson and his competitors will race in ten Jetta TDI Cup events in the United States and Mexico in identical Jettas running on clean diesel fuel. The car is a 170 horsepower version of the 2.0-liter diesel inline-four found in the street Jetta, only slightly modified through the addition of race tires, suspension, brakes and safety equipment.

Each driver who competes will earn a Pro Racing license from Sports Car Club of America Pro Racing Ltd. at the conclusion of the season. The series Champion will win $100,000 toward career development support from Volkswagen – invaluable advancement for young drivers who dream of a career in racing.

Thompson’s next objective is to reach Grand AM, one of the world's most competitive road racing organizations. His ultimate goal is to eventually make it to the top level of sports car racing in America, the American LeMans Series. For now, he is intently focused on standing out at the 2010 TDI Cup.

To learn more about the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup, please visit www.volkswagenjettacup.com.