Coimbatore, Aug 4 (IANS): The 18th JK Tyre Racing Championship and Volkswagen Vento Cup is all set to be flagged off at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Friday.

Fourteen new drivers, along with seven drivers from the previous season, will compete against each other in the race-spec Vento to make a mark in the motorsport arena.

Round 1 of the Vento Cup is scheduled to take place from August 7 to 9. The race weekend will consist of three free practice sessions, one qualifying session and two races where the selected drivers will compete for championship points.

After testing the race cars for three days last month, it will be the first time that the drivers will be involved in competitive driving with their respective Vento Cup race machines.

"With the introduction of Vento Cup, Volkswagen Motorsport India has already raised the bar with respect to the race machines that are being made available for the budding racers. We now expect to see the same levels of dedication and performances on the circuit from our selected drivers," Sirish Vissa, head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said.