Shoestring Jetta: Dispelling Motor Racing Myths One Win at a Time

Budget 1986 VW Jetta gets roaring second start in pursuit of the GTi Challenge Racing title in Cape Town, South Africa.

As you may have read in the first episode of our series (if not, go there and read it right now before carrying on here) we are out to win races on a budget Jetta to disprove popular belief.

Some say that motor racing is a very expensive pastime. They will tell you that it’s just a rich man’s sport. But is it possible to race, win and chase a championship on a working man’s budget? Is it plausible to do that while spending just eight thousand dollars through the season? And to do so racing a five-grand car?

Well, since we last spoke, we have now raced and, well, read on to find out how our first two meetings went!

Can a Five Grand ’86 Jetta Win on a Grand a Race Budget?

So, picking up from part one, we left off on the eve of our first race after joining up a race into the cheapercars.co.za GTi Challenge at Killarney in Cape Town South Africa, back in April. Our mission? To take a five-grand racecar, spend a grand a race and try to lift a title against the odds. And in so doing, also celebrate a unique motor racing milestone.

Having spent the previous few weeks preparing our $5,000 ’86 Jetta CLi, race day broke with our once familiar dawn trek to the track. Having last raced when we won the pre-lockdown 2019 Class C title, it had been a while since we’d last taken that trip. Our Bullion IT Banhoek Chili Oil Jetta was waiting, pretty and shiny, all fueled and lubed and ready to race. The butterflies were palpable as driver Giordano Lupini and the crew went through the final pre-race checks.

Tire pressures set on the brand-new sticker Dunlop Direzza semis up front and slightly used rears, the data kit was connected, and a final nut and bolt check done. We were ready for 8:10 am qualifying. And Boom! Pole position! First time out! Not only was Gio and the Jetta 0.4 seconds quicker than second-placed Eden Thompson’s considerably newer Polo 6, but he was almost a second clear of the previous race weekend’s best time. We had made a spectacular arrival in Class B!