ALTON, Va. — In poker terms, David Jurca was all-in.
With a karting deal in hand for 2008, Jurca had to make a decision — and a big gamble — if he was to run in the fledgling Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup’s inaugural season. He either had to commit to run a full kart season in order to keep the sponsorship agreement he had in place, or forsake it for just the chance to run the Jetta TDI Cup, which held its tryouts in Phoenix on the same day Jurca’s kart effort was to begin.
After 15 years of karting, a career during which Jurca, 23, was ranked the top shifter-kart driver in North America in 2006 and last year won the TAG World championship and IAME Int’l Challenge in Spain, Jurca believed the time had come to make a bold move.
“By going (to the Jetta TDI Cup tryouts), there was a lot of pressure for me to make it because if I don’t, then I don’t have Volkswagen, and I don’t have karting,” Jurca said. “I definitely had to perform to make sure that risk that I took was well worth it.”
Jurca was one of 30 drivers and five alternates between the ages of 16 and 26 to land seats in the inaugural season of the SCCA-sanctioned VW Jetta TDI Cup, which debuted this past weekend at Virginia Int’l Raceway. The unique factory-sponsored series provides 30 identically prepared Volkswagen Jettas for the drivers, each of whom paid a $35,000 fee for the opportunity to compete.

“This is a huge opportunity. Racing is a really expensive sport, and to get people to watch you is even tougher. Right now, I feel like I’m getting the best bang for my buck."

— David Jurca

“The series was developed primarily for driver development,” said Volkswagen spokesman Sean Maynard, noting the TDI Cup was a decade in the making. “The immediate idea was to imitate what Volkswagen was doing overseas with the Polo Cup, which is operating in seven countries already.”
In addition to the $35,000 fee, drivers cover their own travel expenses to and from races, but also receive monetary rewards for top finishes as well as a $100,000 reward for the series champion at the end of the season. As an added bonus, a TDI Cup driver who signs a professional racing deal will receive a $150,000 prize from Volkswagen to help him or her begin a professional career.
“This is a huge opportunity,” said Jurca. “Racing is a really expensive sport, and to get people to watch you is even tougher. Right now, I feel like I’m getting the best bang for my buck. The cost is relatively lower than anything else out there.
“Volkswagen isn’t making anything off of this — it’s strictly a promotional tool for them. A lot of series want to make money off you, though sometimes you get subsidized rides. But we’re here right now with Volkswagen. They’re watching us, and there’s no better place to be.”
Other than Audi in the American Le Mans Series, this is Volkswagen’s first foray into the American road-racing scene. In addition to its debut this past weekend at VIR, the TDI Cup will run companion events with the NASCAR Camping World Series at Lime Rock Park, with the USAR Hooters Pro Cup at Iowa Speedway and with the American Le Mans Series at Road Atlanta.
“With the diesel green initiative, this is the right time to get this out there,” Maynard said.
Competition was fierce for the initial spots, starting with a pool of some 800 applicants being pared down to 30.
Among the drivers competing this season are second- and third-generation drivers such as Mark Pombo (son of former road racer Pepe Pombo) and Wyatt Dallenbach, son of former NASCAR Cup driver Wally Dallenbach. At 16, Dallenbach is the youngest driver in the field along with Liam Kenney, also 16.
At 25, Pombo is one of the older drivers.
“My dad made it professionally when he was 45, but nowadays that doesn’t happen anymore,” said Pombo. “I feel like this is kind of my last shot to make a stand as a young driver.”