2008 was the inaugural season for the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. The Sports Car Club of America Pro Racing division sanctioned the series. The series is limited to thirty drivers aged 16 to 26. Volkswagen is distributing $250,000 in prize money, with the Jetta TDI Cup champion awarded $100,000 to advance their racing career.

Identically prepared Volkswagen Jetta TDI is raced by the competitors. The Jetta uses a four-cylinder 2.0-liter TDI clean diesel engine, which runs on Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel. The power is transferred through a six-speed, double-clutch automatic DSG transmission. The package produces 170-horsepower with 258 ft-lbs of torque.

The cars are fitted 240/640-18” Pirelli racing tires mounted on 8.5 X 18” alloy rims. Stopping the Volkswagen are four-piston calipers with 14” diameter rotors on the front and on the rear single-piston calipers with 10” diameter rotors. A Recaro racing seat, driver-side window safety net, six-point racing harness, FIA roll cage and an FIA-approved on-board fire extinguisher system are installed for safety. The Jetta has a curb weight of 2,844-pounds.

The eight-race season begins at the end of April at Virginia International and ends in October at Road Atlanta. The weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park will be a doubleheader.

  • April 25-27 - Virginia International Raceway
  • May 17-18 - Mosport International Raceway
  • July 25-27 - Portland International Raceway
  • August 14-17 - Lime Rock Park
  • September 19-20 - Iowa Speedway
  • September 27-28 - New Jersey Motorsports Park
  • October 1-3 - Road Atlanta

Round one of the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup was held at Virginia International Raceway. Drivers would complete in a thirty-minute contest around the eighteen-turn 3.27-mile road course.

Lap one of the inaugural Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup at Virginia International Raceway. The pole-sitter, Josh Hurley, leads the front runners through corner three in the No. 11 Oakley VW Jetta TDI. Chasing Hurley is the third fastest qualifier, Timmy Megenbier, driving the No. 17 Bosch / Caputo VW Jetta TDI. In the third spot is the other front-row starter, Caleb Kenney, in the No. 39 GoPro VW Jetta TDI.
Mark Pombo was the winner of the inaugural Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup at Virginia International Raceway. Pombo is the son of two-time SCCA Showroom Stock A National Champion Pepe Pombo. He drove the No. 20 Ful Volkswagen Jetta TDI and qualified fourth fastest. Pombo moved up the race order when Timmy Megenbier retired and the first and second-place starters, Josh Hurley and Caleb Kenney, encountered issues.
Derek Jones competed in the No. 42 Rick Carling Racing / Athletes Performance VW Jetta TDI. Jones was gridded fifth for the thirty-minute contest at Virginia International Raceway. Like the winner, Mark Pombo, he was a beneficiary of the problems encountered by Timmy Megenbier, Josh Hurley and Caleb Kenney. After eleven laps of racing, he crossed the finish line in the runner-up position.
The No. 18 VW Jetta TDI was backed by SCCA Pro Racing. At the end of the season, all series drivers would be issued an SCCA Pro Racing license. The No. 18 Jetta was piloted by Jimmy Underhill. Underhill competed in last season’s SCCA Runoffs at Heartland Park Topeka, where he started thirtieth and finished twenty-fourth in Spec Miata. At Virginia International Raceway, Underhill qualified sixth and finished third.
David Jurca piloted the No. 5 Kyosho VW Jetta TDI. The ex-Karter won the 2005 Stars of Karting finals in Austin, Texas. He was the seventh fastest qualifier for round one of the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. Jurca drove a steady race and when the leaders, Timmy Megenbier, Josh Hurley and Caleb Kenney’ fell by the wayside, he moved up the lap chart. At the conclusion of the thirty-minute contest, he was in fourth place.
The podium for the inaugural round of the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup at Virginia International Raceway. Mark Pombo stands in the center as the fourth fastest qualifier and race winner. On the left is the runner-up, Derek Jones, who started in the fifth position. Completing the rostrum is the third-place finisher, Jimmy Underhill.

FINISHSTARTDRIVERCARLAPSRETIREMENTS
14Mark PomboVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
25Derek JonesVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
36Jimmy UnderhillVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup1-
47David JurcaVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
520Gary Williams Jr.Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
62Caleb KenneyVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
721Chris KuenningVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
811Chris CastagnaVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
98Juan Pablo Sierra LendleVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
1010Michael DeNinoVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
1116Jake DallenbachVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
1234Adam KretschmerVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
1319Andy LeeVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
1425Nick MancusoVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
1526Andrew CordeiroVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
1629Taylor BroekemeierVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
1728Adam LoveVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
1817Wyatt DallenbachVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
1923James KirkhamVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
2013Ryan BuetzerVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
2127David RichertVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
2215John ShimVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
2318Evan PflockVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
241Josh HurleyVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup11-
2522Chad BrassfieldVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup10-
269Liam KenneyVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup9Did Not Finish
2714Adam CrepinVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup9Did Not Finish
2812Chris HolmanVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup9Did Not Finish
293Timmy MegenbierVolkswagen Jetta TDI Cup3Did Not Finish

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