Marc Gerstenkorn Celebrates Long-Awaited Geared Kart Victory
Pole position and three heat wins at the Schweppermannring
Strong response to the setback in the Super Heat
Third podium finish in the third race of the season and a jump to second place in the championship standings
After two podium finishes, Marc Gerstenkorn has now secured his first victory. At the third race of the German Kart Championship season, the Mach1 Motorsport driver celebrated a much-celebrated victory in the DSKC KZ2 Cup on his home track in Ampfing. On the 1,063-meter-long Schweppermannring, he dominated the action for long stretches and cut his deficit in the championship to just eight points.
With a second-place finish at the season opener in Mülsen and a third-place finish in Cheb, Marc had already come close to victory twice. In Ampfing, he left no doubt about his ambitions right from the start. In the weekend’s largest field of 45 drivers, he secured pole position in qualifying. The local hero also set the standard in all three qualifying heats. Marc won every heat and set the fastest lap in each race. As a result, he comfortably led the provisional standings after a nearly perfect Saturday and put himself in an ideal position heading into the final day.
On Sunday morning, conditions changed drastically. Following thunderstorms and rain showers, the Super Heat took place on a wet and then drying track. Starting eighth, he lost the pole position for the final and slipped back to third on the grid. However, the Mach1 driver didn’t let that stop him. A light drizzle set in shortly before the final, but the track was dry again by the start. Marc took the lead as early as the second lap. He then steadily pulled away from his pursuers and controlled the race from the front. Following podium finishes in Mülsen and Cheb, he stood on the podium once again at the third DKM weekend of the season—this time at the very top.
“It finally worked out. Last year I was very close, but I’d never quite managed to win the final until now. After finishing second in Mülsen and third in Cheb, it was simply time to win. Of course, this victory is especially gratifying on my home track. A big thank you goes to Mach1 Motorsport, the entire team, and especially to team boss Rouven Wilk. They’ve once again put together a perfect package for me,” said Marc, overjoyed.
With this victory, Gerstenkorn also earned important points toward the championship. After three of five race weekends, he sits in second place overall with 236 points. He’s now just eight points behind the leader. The battle for the title is therefore wide open at the halfway point of the season.
Marc will continue the season from August 14–16 at the historic Erftlandring in Kerpen. There, he hopes to build on his strong performance in Ampfing and launch his next bid for the championship lead.
by Björn Niemann, www.fast-media.eu – www.kart-magazin.de