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Giordano Lupini is ready for his step up to the Engen Volkswagen Cup series following pre-season testing with his Polo racer over the past fortnight. The Franschhoek 16-year old, who recently found winning form racing at regional level, will make his Polo Cup debut at Killarney’s 25 March national Extreme Festival race day.

“I am really looking forward to my first Polo Cup race,” Giordano admitted. “We’ve tested quite a bit over the past weeks, where I concentrated on getting settled into the Polo and I'm quite happy with the progress we've made. “The Polo is different for me — it is 50% more powerful, heavier and has power steering but no power brakes, which is opposite to what I was used to.

"I am now quite comfortable with the car though and I’d say I’m ready to race." Bridge House Grade 11 scholar Giordano is relishing driving as part of the Pepper Racing stable alongside Shaun La Réserveé, Tasmin Pepper and Daniel Duminy this year. “I’m the Pepper Racing team rookie, but where better to be that?” 

“I have a lot to learn about Polo Cup, but it's a huge plus to have so much experience around me — my senior teammates are both regular Polo frontrunners and Dan, who goes into his second Polo season and me raced together in karts," Giordano explained.  “I'm delighted to be part of Pepper Racing’s 2017 line-up and I can’t wait to race — Killarney cannot come soon enough!”