HERNDON, Va. (Oct. 8, 2008) €“ David Richert, of Niverville, Manitoba, Canada, won the first Jetta TDI Cup Media Contest by securing more media coverage then any of the other 29 drivers in the clean diesel series. This result was made even more significant by the fact that Richert, 26, completed the season ranked 25th, but managed to parlay his media efforts into enough coverage to secure him a trip to Germany to drive in a race of the ADAC Polo Cup, the same prize awarded to the series points champion Josh Hurley."It has been an honor to represent the Volkswagen brand and promote clean diesel throughout the race season,€ said Richert. €œAs drivers, what we do off the race track is often more important than what we do on the track. Winning the VW Media Contest and earning the opportunity to race at Hockenheim is a huge boost for my racing career. I applaud Volkswagen for creating this initiative and providing us with the necessary tools to succeed.€Designed to teach drivers the importance of media exposure to their racing careers, the Jetta TDI Cup Media Contest encouraged the building of relationships with key members of the media, especially in the drivers€™ home towns. In order for the media activity to be counted in the contest, drivers were required to develop story ideas, pitch media, track and submit all forms of media throughout the series.As a local farmer with a dream to race cars, Richert generated enough interest within his home town and surrounding areas, that he was asked to help the mayor of Winnipeg unveil new city signs earlier this year. He also made a visit to a children€™s hospital in Connecticut, and threw out the first pitch in a minor league baseball game. The relationships he formed with his local media led to multiple radio interviews, television appearances and continuous coverage in his local papers. To receive more information, or register for the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup season, interested participants between the ages of 16-26 can visit vw.com to sign up to receive more information.The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series is an innovative approach to motorsports €“ 30 factory-prepared and managed 2009 clean-diesel Jetta TDIs will be piloted by talented, up-and-coming drivers, aged 16 to 26. Volkswagen€™s goal is to find the driver with the most talent and help them break into the world of professional motorsports. The Jetta TDI Cup series, the first all clean-diesel race series, is sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing Inc. Sponsors for the race include: Aggreko, Athlete€™s Performance, Bondurant, Bosch, ful®, Holder, Hoopla, Ironclad, Kyosho, Oakley, RedBull, UTI and ViON.