Winner’s Circle: Jurca takes first Jetta race

Federal Way resident David Jurca, 22, won the second round of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup at a cold and wet Mosport International Raceway in Ontario, Canada, last weekend.

Federal Way resident David Jurca, 22, won the second round of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup at a cold and wet Mosport International Raceway in Ontario, Canada, last weekend.

Jurca finished fourth in the first round of the VW Jetta TDI Cup in Virginia last month. By winning the race in Canada, he took the outright lead in the overall points race heading into the series’ third race, which will be July 27-28 in Portland.

“Coming into this race I felt really confident,” said Jurca. “Unfortunately, I got a penalty for the last race in Virginia. Starting in seventh, my biggest worry was getting through the first turn because I knew something might happen with the slick conditions. It ended up happening right in front of me and I must have been just inches away from really being involved. Once the incident was clear, I worked my way up and made the pass for the lead and just tried to keep it smart and stay out of trouble.”

Jurca and the rest of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup also got the ultimate publicity last night when the circuit was profiled on ESPN’s SportsCenter. The segment detailed the new ground-breaking race series and its innovative approach to motor sports.

All drivers in in the TDI Cup use factory prepared and managed 2009 Jetta TDI clean-diesel vehicles powered by a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine. The Jetta TDI is lightly modified from spec, featuring race-ready suspension and brakes, and a six-speed double-clutch automatic transmission.

In the end, the winner of the race series will be awarded $100,000 from Volkswagen to aid them in their next steps as a professional racer. An additional $150,000 will be given to the winner if he or she signs a contract with a professional level team within six months of winning the Jetta TDI Cup series.

Sports editor Casey Olson: 925-5565, sports@fedwaymirror.com