Goodbye Gerd!

29. February 2008During his 20 years in truck racing Gerd Körber became an idol, a legend. Now „Mr. Truck Racing“, as the man from Rheinau is called by his fans, will bid adieu to the FIA European Truck Racing Championship. That will be anything but easy for the three-times European Champion, because the managing director of Bickel-Tec, who had his debut race in 1987, would have liked to go on driving a RaceTruck in his 21st year, too. But even for the family motor sports series truck racing economic criteria have priority, and there Körber’s merits from the past alone do not count anymore. For 2008 the only option would have been to participate with his own team.
But this dual burden – being the team boss and doubling as a driver – the German shouldered for years. Since his transfer to DAF in the late nineties he was “only” a pilot, and, according to Körber, that’s the only chance of being a factor front and centre, given today’s professionalization of truck racing. And, when you come to think of it, as a matter of fact Gerd Körber has achieved everything possible. In addition to 3 championship wins he was also four times vice-champion. And moreover, the businessman Körber is by now a lot more involved in the family-run enterprise he conducts together with his brother, Karl-Heinz. However, in the past years the truck racer made no secret of his disapproval with regard to the actual development in the truck racing business. Arbitrary decisions, often difficult to comprehend, on the part of the FIA – which several times concerned Körber, too, always caused his indignation. The same applies to the rigmarole regarding the commercial exploitation of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship, especially in respect of the TV presence.
But once already, in 2004, the man from Baden paused for one year – not quite voluntarily and a bit frustrated – but in the end he plunged back into the racing business. Back then the 44-year-old had also declared that his leave would be definite, but on the Ring he was already back – as guest pilot in the first RaceTruck his long-time sidekick, Mario Kress, constructed for Buggyra. So it would be no big surprise when Gerd Körber would suddenly be on the entry list for some of the races. His fans and the media alike would be pleased to see him sitting in a RaceTruck again in full ‘regalia’.