Young German driver André Kursim set his goals on winning the new for this year Promoter’s Cup category, and he is very much looking forward to his upcoming home race at the legendary Nürburgring.
Young German driver André Kursim is making his name in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship and 2017 has so far turned out to be his best season to date.
The Tankpool24 Racing driver set his goals on winning the new for this year Promoter’s Cup category, and he is very much looking forward to his upcoming home race at the legendary Nürburgring.
Winter of hard work
The 25-year old started the season on a high, equalling his best ever result – seventh place overall – in race three of the season-opening round at the Red Bull Ring, and he later achieved the same in race four at Misano. Kursim’s strong performance is mainly the result of experience gathered over the course of last season. "We’ve learned a lot last year and I think this year we have a good pace," – says the man himself.
The entire Tankpool24 Racing team worked tirelessly over the winter months in order to make Kursim, and his team-mate Norbert Kiss, faster this year. "The truck is the same but some parts we’ve changed – axels, parts of the engine, etc. We worked hard over the winter," – reveals the driver.
Strong performance overall is without a doubt satisfying, but what matters most for Kursim this season is the Promoter’s Cup. "The cup is very important for us. We can have our own podium ceremony, take the pictures and all the people can see that we also have the talent, but not the experience," – says Kursim. "I hope we can finish the year getting a position around 6th-7th overall and also winning the Promoter’s Cup. That’s very important for us," – he concludes.
Focal point of the season
Round three of the FIA ETRC, the famed ADAC Truck Grand Prix, is going to be the biggest test yet for Kursim as he’s going to be under a lot of pressure to perform on home soil. "It’s a very important race for us, for our sponsors and for me," – admits Kursim. "It’s a home race, so I think we have to win the Promoter’s Cup and bring home a good result in the championship," – he adds.
Luck needed
Eight races in to the season, Kursim, with 79 points to his name, currently lies second in the Promoter’s Cup standings, nine points shy of Reboconorte MAN driver José Rodrigues.
In order to mount a title challenge Kursim will have to stay out of trouble and have a clean weekend, something that has not always been the case so far this year. "[At Misano] the luck was missing. We lost a right part of the bumper and the part that was sticking out was catching the penalty markers and touched several ones. We then got two penalties. I hope I can win the Promoter’s Cup at the Nürburgring as it is a very good addition to the FIA ETRC," – he summarises.