Suzuki Cup: A Bergmeister as a newcomer
SCENE CHANGE The Suzuki Swiss Racing Cup is getting an interesting addition. Junior mountain champion Rico Thomann is now trying his hand at slalom racing. The 26-year-old is deliberately keeping his head down. With victories in three of the four races, Rico Thomann secured the title in the Swiss Junior Mountain Championship last year. After the cancellation of the Swiss Race Academy 2020 due to a lack of participants, [...]
With victories in three of the four races, Rico Thomann secured the title in the Swiss Junior Mountain Championship last year. Following the cancellation of the Swiss Race Academy 2020 due to a lack of participants, the Winterthur native will not be dethroned until late summer after next at the earliest.
Hill climbs are a thing of the past for him for the time being.
Rico Thomann: "I would have liked to stay on the mountain. But there was no equally good solution as now with the commitment in the Suzuki Cup. I wanted it to continue somehow."
Back to the Beginnings
Thomann will pilot a new Suzuki Swift Sport from the Flammer Speed Team. The Glarner garage owner Karl Flammer already supported him on the mountain, now he drives in his team.
The discipline will not be entirely new for the 26-year-old. Six years ago, the former Zurich cantonal crossbow champion (2007) made his first attempts at motor racing at the Frauenfeld slalom. Driving a Suzuki Swift 1600, Thomann finished fourth in the L4 class.
He then moved into karting before signing up for the Swiss Race Academy 2019 after four good seasons (6th overall Vega Trofeo 2018 in KZ2) - with a known outcome.
First half of ranking as target
Thomann was able to get used to his new sports equipment during tests in Hockenheim. He is well aware that the stakes are high in the Suzuki Swiss Racing Cup. That's why the trained carpenter and wood construction foreman isn't setting his expectations too high.
Rico Thomann: "We'll see how it goes. I'll put it this way: It would be nice if I left more competitors behind me than placed in front of me..."
Inexplicable
He deeply regrets that the Swiss Junior Mountain Championship will not exist in 2020. The current champion can't quite explain the lack of interest.
Rico Thomann: "Maybe hillclimb racing isn't popular enough. I wanted to encourage my karting colleagues to do it, but they're not aware of what's going on. I also don't think the costs are too high. For what the Seelisbergers offer, the price is very fair."
suzukiautomobile.ch/motorsport
