VW Race Touareg 2

Successful final test

Volkswagen Pilot Carlos Sainz and his co driver Lucas Cruz have won the maiden edition of the Silk Way Rally across Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. At the end of nine days of rallying and a total distance of 4,896 kilometres, the Spanish pairing and their Volkswagen Race Touareg won the event, with their team-mates Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford and the Dakar winners Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz finishing second and third respectively.

The fourth Volkswagen pairing, Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) had been involved in a close battle with Sainz/Cruz and held the lead up to the eighth leg. Then, however, they somersaulted and although both survived the incident unharmed, their Silk Way Rally was over.

With the one-two-three on the legendary Silk Way, Volkswagen have successfully completed their preparations for the 2010 Dakar Rally. For the German manufacturer, the event mainly was a test held in competition conditions. “The final test for the Dakar has been successful,” praised Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “Our Race Touaregs proved to be extremely reliable and everybody in the team did a fantastic job.”