Young Driver: Promotion bears fruit
FIRST SUCCESSES While the elimination of the 2018 Young Driver Challenge will soon enter its final phase, two of last year's finalists have their first successes to show: Oliver Holdener shone in the ADAC TCR Germany, Gustavo Xavier in the KTM X Bow Rookies Challenge. At the second event of the ADAC TCR Germany in Most, Czech Republic, Oliver Holdener managed to [...]
At the second event of the ADAC TCR Germany in Most, Czech Republic, Oliver Holdener made his breakthrough in international motorsport - and this on only the third race weekend of his still young career.
This began in 2017 with overall victory in the "AutoScout24 Young Driver Challenge 2017 powered by Seat", which came with a dowry of 50,000 Swiss francs for the 2018 racing season.
The money seems to be well invested.
Best finish in the ADAC TCR Germany
In the Czech Republic, Holdener managed to qualify tenth in the field of 27 TCR touring cars. Due to a competitor's penalty, the man from Schwyz moved up one position with the Cupra Leon TCR entered by Wolf-Power Racing - his employer.
Although he lost two places on the starting lap, he then made up three places and finished in the top ten for the first time in eighth place. As the Czech Petr Fulin (5th) did not score any points as a guest rider, the best-ranked Swiss in the field was even seventh in the ADAC standings.
Right at the back instead of right at the front
According to the regulations, Holdener was allowed to put himself on the front row of the grid for the second race - unfortunately only in theory. In reality, he had to start from the end of the pit lane due to a cracked oil cap.
Nevertheless, he finished eleventh and tenth in the points standings after the half-hour race.
Oliver Holdener: "This is proof that nothing can be calculated in motorsport. No one is to blame, it was just bad luck. I'm very happy with my recovery from the very back to eleventh place. In addition, our teamwork and performance showed that we're competitive and on the right track. Being a racer is a real challenge..."
In the standings, the 2017 Young Driver occupies eleventh intermediate place after four of the 14 individual races with 45 points - 34 from Most alone.
Change to the KTM X Bow Rookies Challenge
Gustavo Xavier, the first rookie to make his season debut at the Nürburgring in August 2017, made his debut last weekend - and what a debut it was!
The 21-year-old from Oetwil with Brazilian roots has chosen the KTM X Bow Rookies Challenge as his new racing series. This championship, offered by the Austrian manufacturer, started with four races at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.
The only Swiss in the field of 16 competitors qualified fifth for the first two runs. Not a bad start after a gearbox change was only completed five seconds before the start of qualifying.
After confirming this position in the first race, he made it onto the podium in third place in the second - in only his fourth (international) race.
First win on second race weekend of career
It got even better. After a fourth-place finish in Sunday's first race, he easily pulled away from the chasing pack behind two competitors after the start of the final run.
At his second race weekend ever, he not only proved his driving skills at the wheel of the KTM X Bow, but also a lot of racing intelligence. After an active wait and two skillful overtaking maneuvers in the final phase, he crossed the finish line in first place, just ahead of Aleksandr Maslenikov and Jörg Haghofer.
Gustavo Xavier: "I saw how the two in front of me wrecked their tires and so I held back for a long time to have the better rubber for an attack towards the end. Two laps before the end I caught the Russian and with more momentum out of the last corner finally also the Austrian. It was a hammer race, certainly the most awesome racing of my still young career."
In the Rookies Challenge, Guastavo Xavier is in second place behind Haghofer (75) after four of twelve races with 65 points. The next round will take place on 22 and 23 June 2018 at the Slovakia Ring.
