!NEW! Living the Dream – Aleix Espargarò and Ricky Cardús Drive Opel GTC OPC on the Nürburgring

• Motorcycling aces Aleix Espargarò and Ricky Cardús experience the Nordschleife with Opel
• Opel GTC OPC impresses the seasoned pros
• Fast laps and “taxi ride“ through the “Green Hell“ the highlights of the day

Pure athleticism: Motorcyclists Ricky Cardús (left) and Aleix Espargarò (right) pose with the dynamic GTC OPCs in the legendary “Karussell”

They normally speed around the most exciting racetracks in the world at over 300 kilometers per hour – but even a seasoned MotoGP ace can’t hide his joy when thinking about the 20.8 kilometer long asphalt road through the Eifel region that Sir Jackie Stewart once branded “Green Hell“. Aleix Espargaró is no exception. The 25-year-old Suzuki factory rider admitted that driving on the legendary Nürburgring-Nordschleife was a childhood dream. Along with his Spanish compatriot and Moto2 rider Ricard “Ricky” Cardús he fulfilled that dream on Tuesday with the help of Opel before heading to the German Grand Prix set to take place on the Sachsenring.

In the morning, the two Spanish motorcycle racers, who both also have car racing driver licenses, each took to the wheel of Opel GTC OPCs with 280 hp and got to know the famous sections of the track such as “Schwedenkreuz“, “Fuchsröhre“, the “Karussell“, the “Brünnchen“, the “Pflanzgarten“, the “Schwalbenschwanz“,”Galgenkopf“ and “Döttinger Höhe“.

That was followed by a unique experience – Opel racing legend and MotoGP fan Volker Strycek who knows the Nordschleife like the back of his hand, took the motorcycling aces on a fast lap in the extremely dynamic Opel. Espargaró and Cardús were clearly impressed when they reeled off some additional kilometers in the GTC OPCs during the regular tourist drives on the Nordschleife. In the evening, the two Spanish motorcyclist were treated to another highlight when they followed former racing driver and current head of the Nürburgring Driving Academy Andreas Gülden on three fast laps. Gülden later praised the duo and insisted that they left a good impression on four wheels.

Both Espargaró and Cardús were overwhelmed by the impressions at the end of the day. “The Nordschleife really is the greatest racetrack in the world,” said Espargaró. “I have rarely had so much fun preparing for a MotoGP race. I will definitely be back. And the GTC OPC is a great car. The outstanding chassis and the high-torque turbo engine make it the perfect car for the Nordschleife,” he added. Cardús, a team-mate of German Marcel Schrötter in the Tech3 team, was equally impressed: „This ranks up there with the three best experiences I have ever had on a racetrack. It was brilliant.“