Mike Jäger, the regular driver in the Afri-Cola Audi of the team PROSport Performance, came up with a surprise at the opening round of the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring: Kurt Thiim is the second driver to support Jäger in the fast A3. With this new prominent crew member, the team in the PROSport race car is getting considerably stronger. Thiim and Jäger belong to the really quick race drivers at the Nürburgring Nordschleife – a very strong team was thus born with the Afri-Cola Audi.
The target at the beginning was to first of all test the car in detail as PROSport Performance had largely revised the car during winter. Furthermore, it was just one day before the opening round that Mike Jäger took place in his A3 race car again for the first time. “After such a long winter break, you first have to take it easy at the Nordschleife. The track surface is different at some places and damaged parts have been repaired.” So Jäger used his first test on the day before the race as a quick “information lap” which straightaway finished in the guardrails. “Not a lot of damage fortunately”, was Jäger’s cool comment.
PROsport Performance was able to repair the damage still on the same evening so that their start was not in danger. “I have great respect for the fantastic work which the team around Chris Esser has done and I wish to thank them very much”, said Mike Jäger. Thiim, for whom this morning on race day was his first time behind the steering wheel of the Afri-Cola Audi, too, was very happy and straightaway completed fast lap times. The competition in class SP3T, nonetheless, was very tough. Amongst others they had to compete against two works VW Scirocco entered by Volkswagen. And the class was finally also won by these two race cars.
“Due to their superior technology, we do currently not have great chances against the works-supported Scirocco, the Opel Astra and the Raeder TTs, but the race is over after four hours only and a lot can happen in this time”, said Mike Jäger. After an exciting 4 Hour Race, the Afri-Cola Audi finished into place 4 in their class despite a tyre damage and even though Thiim had to make his way through the field from the back. “The engine stalled in the formation lap”, explained the former DTM Champion. After the whole field has passed, the engine started again and he could begin to catch up. “As we said, you must be consistent to be successful”, Jäger said with a smile, “and finally, why should we not be lucky for once, too.”
“With Kurt Thiim, I have a team mate from whom I can still learn a lot”, so Jäger hopes that Kurt Thiim will join the team in the Afri-Cola Audi again for the second round on 30th April.
