Hot action in the Slovak Danube Plain.

The third round of the AOM (Austrian Outdoor Masters) took place on one of the region's most modern race tracks. In 35°C temperatures and strong winds, not only was our motorhome put to the test – the drivers also had a tough time.

34 teams fought fiercely for a place in the sun. The latter probably went to some of the heads. The result was some hairy scenes due to over-motivated maneuvers with no discernible benefit.

This time, the MOKADAMO Racing Team competed in an unusual lineup due to two driver dropouts: Tobias Koini was competing in the Styrian Championship, while Markus Seifried was forced to withdraw due to work commitments. Reinforcement came in the form of Michael Merzinger .

Michael is a courageous and ambitious rider with good speed—and, we think, a very likeable guy. While he's officially "loaned" to Simon Liegl's Racecraft Academy this season, where he competes in various teams, this time he helped out his regular team—and delivered a fantastic performance.

Training and qualifying

Team principle Nikolas Jeitler already knew the track, so he left the one-hour practice session to the two track newbies. Lap after lap, Harry Stütz and Michael Merzinger pushed themselves to the limit – and quickly found themselves on the pace. Their times were in the good midfield. Absolutely promising for a start. And with the knowledge that both could still improve in the race.

Michael qualified the MOKADAMO Racing Team with starting number 21 in 15th place. The top-class field was extremely close together – missing a top-10 starting position by only a few hundredths of a second.

The Endurance Race

The start went well, but in the usual chaos of the opening phase, we lost a few places. Michael was unfazed and kept up the pace. The first pit stop also went according to plan – until our second driver, Harald Stütz, received a drive-through penalty.

The reason for this: Michael stopped correctly in the stop zone in front of the scales, but the front bumper protruded a few centimeters over the access ramp.

Are rules important? No question about it. Do we think the report to the race director in this case was a bit overambitious? Perhaps. Was a drive-through penalty with a loss of around 20 seconds excessive? Absolutely.

From that moment on, it was all about giving it our all to make up ground – including the usual kart roulette with fast and slower karts. In the final stint, Nikolas Jeitler launched a sensational comeback and quickly made up a two-lap deficit (!) to P23. The competition reacted promptly: After an additional pit stop with a driver change, the team in front of us sent out their strongest driver again to secure P23. Unfortunately, the result was successful.

The Sprint Races

The extreme temperatures took their toll. Some drivers seemed mentally out of place. Subtle overtaking maneuvers were unfortunately rare. Divebombs, attempts to push off, massive blocking, and break tests dominated the scene. A shame – because the driving skills and racing intelligence were actually there.

The highlights from our perspective: Nikolas Jeitler and Michael Merzinger made strong impressions. Due to an overtaking maneuver (no blue flag and unsafe zigzagging) in the final corner, Nikolas narrowly lost a place – and finished the sprint, just 0.037 seconds behind, in a sensational 10th place out of 33 teams. Michael shone with a fantastic 9th place in one of his sprints. Chapeau!

But victory and defeat are often close together. In one questionable move, Michael was forced off the track so violently that he landed in the gravel trap and lost two laps. Annoying—and above all, completely unnecessary.

Harald Stütz delivered a solid performance in the "Heavy" category – especially with a 16th place finish in Sprint 4. A collision at the beginning of the stint sent him way back, but through speed and consistent, flawless laps, he was able to regain the 12 places he had lost before the finish line. What an achievement given the strong field.

Goal & Conclusion

With two top-10 finishes, we've already achieved one of our main goals in our rookie season: to be competitive among the front-runners. Despite retirements, penalty times, and extreme heat, the team demonstrated morale, speed, and team spirit. The performance of our drivers—especially Michael Merzinger and Nikolas Jeitler—makes us want more. If we maintain this spirit and continue to improve, more highlights this season are only a matter of time.

On our own behalf

You meet all kinds of people at the racetrack. Among them, there are many who are friendly, helpful, and fair.

It's precisely this openness and togetherness off the track that makes paddock life so special. Mutual support, a smile as you pass, a spare part at the right time – that's what counts. On the track, the fight is fair and tough, but with respect.

Because at the end of the day, it's not about anything – no prize money, no promotion, no prestige. It's about passion, fun, and shared experiences. And that's exactly why we love this sport. Thanks to the teams from mSA Lasertec, MotorSportAktiv, Kartsport.at, CTD Vortuna XX, RcA, Neubacher, and others.

And none of this would be possible without the fantastic organizers. It's great that you're doing this, dear Ossi, Martin, Nino, Herwig, and team!

 

Austrian Outdoor Masters

Slovakia Ring | May 27 - June 29, 2025
9 hours + 3x 3 sprints
https://www.kd2000.at/aom

MOKADAMO driver

  • Nikolas Jeitler | AUT | Light
  • Michael Merzinger | AUT | Medium
  • Harald Stütz | AUT | Heavy

Sprint placings

  • Sprint 1, 4 & 7 | Heavy | Harald Stütz | P22, P16, P27 (bad kart luck)
  • Sprint 2, 5 & 8 | Light | Nikolas Jeitler | P24, P10, P27 (bad kart luck)
  • Sprints 3, 6 & 9 | Medium | Michael Merzinger | P32 (accident), P9, P14