Bonnie Thomas won race two of the Volkswagen Polo R Cup 2014 at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore after an exciting battle with Angad Singh Matharoo and Anindith Reddy. The second race of the season saw the top five finishers finishing within five seconds of each other.
The race started off with Thomas on the reverse-grid pole position alongside Ishaan Dodhiwala with Race one winner Angad Matharoo back in eighth. Bonnie had a great start and held on to the lead into turn one. After a brief safety car period, Thomas continued to lead with Anindith in second position while Ishaan dropped back down the order. Matharoo passed Anshul Shah for third position and then wasted no time passing Anindith for second.
Matharoo then spent the next five laps behind the rear of Bonnie's Volkswagen Polo R Cup but could not find a way past. He came close on the penultimate lap as both drivers were side-by-side on the main straight but Bonnie stayed ahead. Bonnie crossed the finish line in first place to take his maiden win with Angad second place and Anindith third place. Behind them Karthik Tharani Singh, who started in 18th position, moved his way up through the field to finish in an impressive fifth.
Bonnie Thomas, a rally driver, was surprised to win his first race so early in the season. He commented, "I just joined Volkswagen Polo R Cup to learn. This round has been tough, my fellow drivers have been really good, but starting on pole gave me the advantage. I tried my best to defend my position and maintain my lead. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my coach Rayomand Banajee and driver Aditya Patel for guiding me throughout this weekend. A special thanks to Volkswagen Motorsport Head Sirish for giving me a chance at this truly professional racing series."
Angad Singh Matharoo, who started in eighth position, was thrilled to finish on the podium and take early lead in the championship. He commented, "It has been a super weekend for me and I am thrilled to be on the podium twice over the weekend. I hope to continue my good streak for the rest of the season and look forward to coming back to Coimbatore for Round two!"
JK Tyre Volkswagen Polo R Cup 2014
Round 1, Race 2
1 Bonnie Thomas 21:07.5
2 Angad Singh Matharoo 21:07.9
3 Anindith Reddy 21:08.2
4 Karminder Pal Singh 21:09.5
5 Karthik Tharani Singh 21:11.0