Jordan Lee Pepper travels to the Eifel region as overall leaderTitle race enters the finishing straightIndian guest starter Noorani makes debut in Scirocco R-Cup

The Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup is back in Germany. The legendary Nürburgring hosts the fifth and penultimate race weekend on 15 and 17 August. Jordan Lee Pepper (ZA), who tops the overall standings with 237 points, has his sights set on repeating last year’s victory and, should results go his way, could even seal the championship with races to spare. Pepper’s closest rival in the title race is Victor Bouveng (S), who goes into the final three races with a deficit of 36 points. Jason Kremer (D), who grew up close to the Nürburgring, is currently third with 187 points.

Everything you need to know about the fifth race weekend in Nürburgring at a glance

+++ World champion visits the Nürburgring. Olaf Thon, football World Cup winner in 1990, will be a guest at the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup on Friday, having received an invitation from series sponsor Gazprom. A special treat is in store for the former FC Schalke 04 player: a ride in the Cup-Scirocco, driven by former DTM driver Manuel Reuter. +++

+++ Rahil Noorani will travel further than most for his drive. The 24-year-old Indian won last year’s Volkswagen Polo Cup India and lines up as a guest starter in the Scirocco R-Cup at the Nürburgring. Noorani lives in Mumbai, is an enthusiastic squash player, and aspires to a career in the DTM or WTCC. His motor racing role model: Michael Schumacher. By the way, championship leader Jordan Lee Pepper from South Africa has the longest journey to each race. +++

+++ Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky travels to the Nürburgring with fond memories of the fifth race weekend of the Volkswagen Scirocco-R Cup. Last year the young Swede claimed her best result at the time in the Eifel Mountains: second place behind serial winner Kelvin van der Linde (ZA). This season, Ahlin-Kottulinsky went one better at the Norisring to become the first woman ever to win a race in the environmentally-sound one-make cup. She currently lies seventh in the overall standings. +++

+++ Kelvin van der Linde, who won the title in the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup last year, will be on hand at the Nürburgring to take guests on taxi rides around the iconic circuit at the wheel of an Audi RS5 DTM. This year, the 18-year-old lines up for the Prosperia C. Abt Racing team alongside René Rast in an Audi R8 LMS ultra in the ADAC GT Masters. +++

+++ Jordan Lee Pepper won the second race of the Scirocco R-Cup at the Nürburgring last year, and travels to the same circuit as overall leader this time around (237 points). Victor Bouveng is second overall (201) behind Pepper, who can wrap up the title with two wins at the Nürburgring. +++

+++ The only German win in the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup at the Nürburgring came back in 2010, courtesy of Arne Larisch. Since then, the driver who won in the Eifel Mountains has always gone on to be crowned champion: 2011 Mateusz Lisowski (PL), 2012 Ola Nilsson (S) and 2013 Kelvin van der Linde . +++

+++ The Nürburgring was opened in 1927 and the subject of extensive modifications in 1984. The Südschleife gave way to the Formula One circuit – at that time, the most modern racetrack in the world. At first 4.542 kilometres in length, the circuit was extended to 5.1 kilometres in 2002. A 3.629-kilometre modification of the Grand Prix circuit will be used for the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup – the so-called Sprint Circuit. +++

+++ The Eifel region around the Nürburgring is known for its freak weather, which has made for numerous spectacular and unpredictable races in the past. +++

+++ The Scirocco R-Cups hit their top speed at the Nürburgring at the end of the start-finish straight. The drivers shift into sixth gear here as they reach speeds of up to 194kph. +++

+++ The best overtaking opportunity at the Nürburgring comes on the way into turn one, a hairpin, and at the end of the back straight before the NGK Chicane. +++

+++ 22 drivers, four of them women, from eight different countries are regularly involved in the 2014 Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup. Five of last year’s top ten are battling it out for the title this season: as well as the man who finished third last year, Jordan Lee Pepper, this year’s field also includes Dane Nicolaj Møller Madsen, who leads the junior class, German hope Manuel Fahnauer, and Swedes Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky and Victor Bouveng. The many young drivers in action this season are joined by an old hand: Michael Müller is the owner of several Volkswagen dealerships and celebrated his 53rd birthday on 7th August. +++

+++ Like last season, the drivers still have the option of using the Push-to-pass system, which momentarily increases the performance of the Scirocco by 50 hp to 210 kW (285 hp). Push-to-pass may only be used six times in free practice. No Push-to-pass is permitted during qualifying. +++

Quotes ahead of the fifth race weekend at the Nürburgring

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director: “The Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup has already produced a lot of spectacular races with different winners. The last two race weekends at the Norisring and in Spielberg were particularly enthralling. We are seeing time and time again what a high standard of driving there is in this one-make cup. There are just two race weekends still to come, and it is crunch time in the championship. As such, it will only get more exciting. The Nürburgring is a magnificent racetrack. The characteristic of the circuit and the unpredictable weather in the Eifel region mean thrilling races are virtually guaranteed there.”

Victor Bouveng, starter Scirocco R-Cup: “I am certainly looking forward to the races at the Nürburgring. It is a really great circuit with a long history. I would like to make life difficult for Jordan Lee Pepper in the championship. My goal is to win both races, in order to make up as many points as possible on him ahead of the season finale in Hockenheim. I know the Nürburgring from last year’s Scirocco R-Cup and also drove there in Formula Renault. For this reason, I hope we will be quick from the outset. Qualifying will be very important.”

Chris Smiley, starter Scirocco R-Cup: “The Nürburgring is a completely new circuit for me. I have never driven there before. As such, I will have to get to know the track during Friday’s free practice. So far I only know the layout from onboard recordings, which I have seen on YouTube. I hope, with a bit of practice, that I can qualify in the top five and then perhaps challenge for a podium or even victory in the race. I would like to climb into the top three in the overall standings over the course of the last two race weekends.”

Dominik Peitz, starter Scirocco R-Cup: “I hope I can finish in the top ten again at the Nürburgring. I do know the circuit quite well, as I have driven there in the past, but the same can be said of many of the other drivers too. The Scirocco R-Cup is a very close affair with great strength in depth, as we saw again in Spielberg. A lot of friends and sponsors will be at the Nürburgring to watch me, including from the karting club where I train the youngsters. They have hired an entire coach. I am already really looking forward to the support.”

Michael Müller, starter Scirocco R-Cup: “I am very much looking forward to the race at the Nürburgring. It is not far from my home. Some of my family will be there to support me. I am also inviting a few customers. I have driven a few times at the Nürburgring, most recently in the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup in 2011. The circuit seems to suit me relatively well, particularly the left-right combination before the back straight. I have a few problems with the first corner, the tight hairpin. I will obviously be trying to mix it up with the other guys as much as possible – and whatever happens, I will have fun driving the Cup-Scirocco.”