The Caddy TDI racing van will be competing in the Volkswagen Racing Cup in 2010 sporting bright orange livery thanks to a new sponsorship deal with the RAC, and it will also have a new driver with Simon Elliott, Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles taking his seat behind the wheel to try to make Volkswagen vans just as popular and successful on the track as they are on the road.

The 2.0-litre Caddy TDI van, tuned by RacingLine to produce 260 PS and over 500 Nm of torque, will make its public debut on the Volkswagen Racing UK stand (no 6200) at the Autosport International & Pistonheads Show at the NEC from 14 to 17 January, while its first race of the season is scheduled to be at Oulton Park, Cheshire on 3 and 5 April.

‘I started racing last year and realised this was something I really wanted to do,’ said Simon Elliott. ‘My wife has now given me permission to do the full season, and I’ve managed to not only persuade my predecessor Peter Wyhinny to let me take over driving the van, but more importantly we have new sponsors for this high profile Caddy van,’ he continued.

Martin Quail, Head of RAC Corporate Partnerships, said: ‘We were excited to be approached with the opportunity to sponsor the Caddy in the Volkswagen Cup. It provides us not only with the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Volkswagen further, but also to engage with business customers and motor racing fans alike.’

The Volkswagen Caddy, recently awarded the Editor’s Choice in the What Van? Awards 2010, is the smallest in the range of vans from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles with a load volume of 3.2 m, load margin from 720 kg and retail prices starting from £11,400 or currently available from £189 a month (plus VAT and deposit). For information about the Caddy range, or this finance offer, please call 0800 717131or visit www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk.

Full details of the Volkswagen Racing Cup and this summer’s programme of races are available from www.vw-cup.co.uk.