Double the power. Double the drama.

The Speedworld in Pachfurth near Bruck/Leitha has a reputation. Not only because motorsport junkies get their money's worth here, but also because (according to rumors in the paddock) it's home to Europe's toughest chicane. Anyone who doesn't master it will end up in the dirt faster than they'd like. But first things first.

For the first time in 2025, MOKADAMO competed with two teams at the Austrian Outdoor Masters (AOM) – the core team MOKADAMO RT 21 and its sister team MOKADAMO RT 31. But we weren't the only ones to expand our field. Other teams also joined, so that by the end of the fourth race of the season, a record-breaking 38 teams were competing. Organizer Martin Müllner and his team from kd2000, or Kart Division, worked hard to provide additional karts and engines. Thanks to the entire crew!

Our regular drivers Tobias Koini and Nikolas Jeitler were joined by Michael "Merzi" Merzinger, who had already competed at the Slovakia Ring, and three new drivers: Alexander "Andreas" Röck, Michael Zallinger , and Sandro Fortin . Tobias Koini and Michael "Merzi" Merzinger knew the track and the karts, Nikolas Jeitler the karts, Alex Röck the track – and Sandro Fortin and Michael Zallinger were – well – simply rookies when it came to tracks and cars.

To cover the weight classes, we decided at short notice to let the experienced Michael Merzinger compete with Sandro Fortin and Michael Zallinger in the MKDM RT 31. Alexander Röck completed the MKDM RT 21.

Training and qualifying

A no-track-walk into the fun – or the advantage of Tobias Koini knowing the racetrack like the back of his hand. Although three of our drivers had never been on this track before, Tobias Koini was able to vividly describe every turn, every irregularity like dips and crests, and every curb and its effects. Quote: "At the Autobahn chicane, the first curb has a black patch. Go over it and then hook onto the left curb with your left wheels. Then the corner is totally easy." Totally easy.

Armed with knowledge, Nikolas Jeitler threw himself into training. A sighting lap, and then it was full throttle into the fun. The first set of corners up to Turn 3 – totally easy. Short straight – totally easy. Autobahn chicane, black spot on the curb, full throttle over it as trained, and straight… into the vegetation. Apparently, the angle is also crucial. But we'll get to our mathematical problems later. The other drivers fared a little better. Mainly thanks to the realization that the Autobahn chicane can also be driven through "normally."

The lightweights from both teams contested qualifying. Tobias Koini qualified MKDM RT 21 in 24th place, and Sandro Fortin placed our number 31 kart in a sensational 8th(!) place. Remember: Unknown kart. Unknown track.

The Endurance Race

MOKADAMO RT 21

The race was uneventful. Except that we lost the places we had gained at first, but later lost them again. Except that mowing the grass became one of our special tasks. Except that we had to serve three(!) stop-and-go penalties for being underweight (yes! Math!), losing about three laps and what felt like 100 places out of 38. Except that Tobias Koini, due to a rib injury, had to drive two stints with pain and skip the third. Except that Nikolas Jeitler had a major run-out at the Autobahn chicane, came to a stop on the track, half the field came barreling towards him at high speed, and some were only able to avoid him with great difficulty – but he made up position after position in the final stint. Except that Alex Röck pulled off some fantastic overtaking maneuvers, fought tough battles, and pushed the kart to its limits, but unfortunately, the reward didn't come because we had to make up whole laps instead of seconds.

So, at the end of the day, we finished 28th overall. Or to put it another way: we were able to leave a quarter of the field behind us.

MOKADAMO RT 31

The new team did better. Sandro Fortin posted one of the best lap times of the entire field with a 53:868 (only six teams were a few hundredths of a second faster), but later got into some nasty battles. The combination of being a rookie and driving less powerful karts also didn't contribute to the optimal result. Michael Zallinger fought relentlessly and with tremendous motivation like a lion (with the track, with the kart, with his fitness, and with many experienced AOM drivers), and Michael Merzinger delivered his usual excellent performance on the asphalt.

Overall, it was a very successful debut, especially since the MKDM RT 31 finished 21st overall—a full seven places ahead of the regular team!

The sprint races

The anxiety began the evening before. The weather forecast predicted "fun weather." "Fun" is a matter of definition. Not everyone is as experienced and skilled as Tobias Koini or Sandro Fortin, who deliver top performances in adverse conditions. Therefore, for most of the team members, anticipation was limited.

On the morning of the race, the track was wet and the ideal line was an ice skating rink. Why do we know this? Because we finally went for a track walk. With whom? With one of the best riders in the AOM. Florian Sterz from the NV Youngsters joined us for a lap and let us in on the secrets of the rain line on his home track. It should be mentioned at this point that this isn't something to be taken for granted. After all, we are competitors – sort of. We were at the back of the field, Florian Sterz and his team were much further ahead. But still. A big thank you!

Firstly, things don't always turn out the way you expect, and secondly, they don't. Nikolas Jeitler (#21) and Michael Merzinger (#31) started the first qualifying session before the church bells rang. And they were surprised. To determine the grip level, the first braking test revealed that the track had transformed from an ice skating rink to "sticking like chewing gum" within 30 minutes – a loud sigh of relief under the helmet.

Here are the highlights at a glance:
In Sprint 1, Nikolas Jeitler qualified in 10th place. He battled for 8th place for a long time, until his own mistake in the infamous Autobahn chicane (that approach angle again). He was 20th. In the next four laps, he fought his way back to 10th place, but was then forced into the grass twice. In total, he made over 20 overtaking maneuvers and was ultimately rewarded with... oh dear. 34th place(?). It seems there was a very hefty penalty. For whatever reason. We're guessing... simply nothing. Originally, he made his comeback and moved into the top 20.

But where there's shadow, there's also light. Nikolas Jeitler finished his second sprint in fourth place, and Tobias Koini started his second sprint from pole position and finished in fifth place (unfortunately, his rib pain prevented him from engaging in tough battles). A podium finish would definitely have been within reach.

Alexander Röck managed 13th place in his first AOM appearance. Someone has to try and emulate him. Well done! Sandro Fortin fought a thrilling battle for position from the first to the last lap in a race, winning in the final corner. Michael Zallinger was back in a kart for the first time in what felt like an eternity. His performance was exceptional and, above all, consistently solid. In addition to the misfortune with a few karts, Michael Merzinger also suffered bad luck with traffic and unfortunate overtaking maneuvers. He's much better than his results suggest. At the next race, he'll show us again where the Goldie gets his fuel from.

Aim and conclusion

With two top-five finishes in the sprints, we've far exceeded our expectations. We're slowly getting into the groove and finding a consistent pace. Especially in the first season, there's a lot of new things on the agenda (tracks, karts, weather, procedures, mathematics, etc.). This, too, has to be learned and internalized. Therefore, we're very pleased with all the drivers.

In particular, the commitment of each individual, the teamwork, the solidarity, the calmness (should a stint not go perfectly), and the friendship among the team members are the best things about a race weekend like this. The race result is cosmetic. Thanks to Michael "Merzi" Merzinger for the quote of the weekend: "We are family." And everyone can see that on the pit wall: We are our own fan base.

With Michael Zallinger, Alexander "Andreas" Röck, and Sandro Fortin, the MOKADAMO Racing Team has continued to grow. And we wouldn't want to be without you!

The next race is the AOM season finale and will take place at our home track in Kalsdorf (Styria Karting). Harry Stütz, who unfortunately missed the Bruck race due to personal reasons, will be back with us. Our star driver Tobias Koini is unfortunately doubtful due to his rib injury.

On our own behalf

Ronny, you're amazing! Thank you for your time, your commitment, and your support. Even though your kart has a different number on it, we count you as part of our extended MOKADAMO family. "Intense racing on track but intense friendship in the paddock."

 

Austrian Outdoor Masters

Speedworld | September 12th – 14th, 2025
9 hours + 3x 3 sprints
https://www.kd2000.at/aom

MOKADAMO #21 Driver

  • Tobias Koini | AUT | Light
  • Nikolas Jeitler | AUT | Medium
  • Alexander Röck | AUT | Heavy

Sprint placings

  • Sprints 1, 4 & 7 | Medium | Nikolas Jeitler | P34 (time penalty), P4, P21 (bad karting)
  • Sprints 2, 5 & 8 | Heavy | Alexander Röck | P22, P37 (accident), P13
  • Sprints 3, 6, & 9 | Light| Tobias Koini | P26 (bad kart luck), P5, P21

 

MOKADAMO #31 Driver

  • Sandro Fortin | AUT | Light
  • Michael Merzinger | AUT | Medium
  • Michael Zallinger | AUT | Heavy

Sprint placings

  • Sprints 1, 4 & 7 | Medium | Michael Merzinger | P35 (bad kart luck), P18, P27
  • Sprints 2, 5 & 8 | Heavy | Michael Zallinger | P38 (accident), P26, P28
  • Sprints 3, 6, & 9 | Light| Sandro Fortin | P17, P19, P30