Back in 2008, SEAT World Touring Car driver Tom Coronel had the chance to drive a KTM X-Bow during Bavaria City Racing in Rotterdam, over the Willemsbrug. And on September 4th, the Dutchman battles with a KTM again. Only this time, there is an old score to settle.
Which is faster? A bike or a car?
Tom Coronel will take to the Oschersleben track in his SEAT Leon TDI to do battle with Dutch compatriot and Ex-MotoGP rider Jurgen van den Goorbergh on a race tuned KTM-RC8 superbike. And both men are confident of victory, “Of course I’ll win, there’s no way a guy on a motorbike is going beat me.” said Coronel “I have the advantage that I know the track and the SEAT like the back of my hand. Bikes just don’t appeal to me in the same way, I prefer four wheels over just two. But I have the greatest admiration for the riders. The stunts these guys perform are amazing, I couldn’t do it myself. But my grandfather was a pretty good rider himself, and my brother Tim and I have the speed bug – I think it must be in our genes.”
Van den Goorbergh is on holiday until shortly before the event, but is still confident that he has what it takes, “I heard of the challenge by phone on my holiday, and was up for it straight away. My preparation is far from ideal, but I'm still a force to be reckoned with. I’ve never ridden in a race on the Oschersleben circuit before, and to make it easier I’ve also never before ridden a KTM RC8 Superbike. I haven’t raced for a while, and am still recovering from an awkward injury I picked up during training for the Erzberg Rodeo, but it’ll be OK. I hope there are two mirrors on the SEAT, because then he’ll be able to see me coming.”
Awaiting his return from his holiday, is a standard RC8 at KTM Netherlands, ready for van den Goorbergh to tame the public roads, but for Coronel, it is a case of get in, race, job done. “Get in and get going, that's my motto. A Supercopa isn’t that different from my WTCC Leon TDI, except for the fuel. Just got to be careful filling it up”
The duel will be a one lap showdown around the circuit, and will (hopefully) be shown on Eurosport 1.
