Marc Gerstenkorn takes victory and pole position in Mülsen
Marc Gerstenkorn had an exciting weekend at the second race of the season in the DMSB Shifter Kart Cup (DSKC) in Mülsen. The young driver from Landshut put in an impressive performance on the 1,315-meter track at Arena E and made a real statement with his victory in the Super Heat. In the grand final, the youngster from the Kartshop Ampfing team started from pole position for the first time – but the final race was over sooner than hoped.
After a strong start to the season in Mariembourg, Marc traveled to Saxony with a lot of confidence. He already underlined his ambitions in qualifying with seventh place in a strong international field. Things continued to improve in the following heats: with a fifth and a third place, he climbed to fourth place in the interim standings – an excellent starting position for the final day.
On Sunday, however, completely new conditions awaited. The Super Heat took place on a wet track. But Marc kept his nerve: with a clever line and good racing tactics, he took the lead and won the race – the biggest success of his young shifter kart career to date. This put the 14-year-old in pole position for the DSKC final for the first time.
But the dream debut turned into a setback. During the start attempt, the gear stuck – Marc missed the start and unintentionally blocked the field. A driver behind him touched his kart and damaged his front spoiler. The result: an early exit in lap one.
Despite the bitter end, the rookie remained positive: “Winning the Super Heat and starting from pole position in the final was a great feeling. Of course, I was excited, but also proud. It’s a shame it didn’t work out – but I’m sure the next pole start will come and we’ll finish it off then.”
After two of five races, Marc is in a strong fifth place overall in the championship. The action continues from July 25 to 27 at his home track in Ampfing, where the shifter kart newcomer wants to confirm his strong form and once again be among the front-runners.
by Björn Niemann, www.fast-media.eu – www.kart-magazin.de