Summarize

Volkswagen Motorsport’s Rookie Cup delivered two brilliant heats of closest possible racing to thrill the carmakers home faithful at Gqeberha’s Aldo Scribante racetrack on Saturday. But it was Durban youngster Dhivyen Naidoo who came home smiling the broadest with a double win to take the championship down to what promises to be an equally thrilling finale at Zwartkops in October. 

“Wow, our `rookies really put on a brilliant show at Aldo Scribante today,” Volkswagen Head of Motorsport Mike Rowe reflected. “You could have quite literally thrown a blanket over our five young guns throughout today’s two heats. Our Rookies are certainly coming of age in every aspect of racing and today’s two heats showed that and then some. All of us at Volkswagen Motorsport are truly proud of how our program is developing these young men into the finest of race drivers and future champions.”

The Aldo Scribante Volkswagen Rookie Cup day started with a delighted Uzair Khan stealing a close pole position ahead of Dhivyen Naidoo 

Judd Bertholdt and PE home hero Josh Moore. But it was Naidoo who made a brave move around the outside of turn 1 to take the lead on the first lap. Despite huge pressure throughout, with the entire grid nose to tail and side by side throughout, Dhivyen hung on to win by a short head from Uzair, Judd and Josh, who held Volkswagen Motorsport’s racing coaches.

Dhivyen Naidoo then did the double to take the equally thrilling second race, while Judd Bertholdt fought Uzair Khan and Josh Moore off to take second and set up a thrilling finale at Zwartkops in October. The winner of the 2024 Volkswagen Rookie Cup not only walk away as champion, but he will follow 2023 winner Kyle Visser into the official Volkswagen Motorsport Rookie entry in the 2024 Astron Energy Polo Cup, so rest assured, Zwartkops will be a huge day for these young men.

“A wonderful year of nurturing our young champion will come to a head at Zwartkops in November,” Mike Rowe concludes. “May the best Volkswagen Rookie win!”

The Volkswagen Rookie Cup trains its academy racing recruits in every aspect of racing in a real-world hands-on raceday environment. The syllabus covers everything from driver fitness to physical and mental preparation, teamwork, data analysis, collaborating with the team and dealing with the media and every other aspect of a racing career. Young drivers interested in joining the 2025 Volkswagen Rookie Cup should email driving@vwsa.co.za for further info.