So far so good for Jasmin Preisig in the 24H SERIES! In her first two starts with Autorama Motorsport by Wolf-Power Racing in 2020, the Volkswagen ambassador secured her maiden TCE win in Hockenheim, and, but for a lengthy gearbox change in Portimão, could well have been on the podium on her series debut as well. That’s a pretty good record, given that the young Swiss star is still very new to endurance racing.
Indeed, having begun her car racing tenure in the Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup in Germany in 2014, Jasmin then spent three seasons at the wheel of an Opel Astra TCR in the Opel Astra OPC Cup and ADAC TCR Germany before moving into the VLN Series in 2019 with ‘Girls Only’. Jasmin’s new affiliation with Volkswagen in 2018 meanwhile paid off quickly, as she took her maiden podium finishes aboard a Golf GTI that season, and, one year later, her first career win in a touring car.
Ironic then that, given her newfound success with VW on both the sprint and endurance stages, Jasmin Preisig’s car racing career actually started with Chevrolet…
“I am Jasmin Preisig.”
“28. I don’t lie!”
“That was in 2012, and I made a guest appearance in the Chevrolet Cruze Cup in Assen. But by then, I’d already been karting since I was nine years old. At home, my father owned a garage, so I pretty much grew up around cars. My father also competed in a lot of [local hill climbs] when he was younger, so you could say I fell into it!”
* The Auto Preisig AG dealership, based in Schwellbrunn, is still presided over, successfully, by Walter Preisig. Interestingly, between 2003 and 2012, Jasmin competed in go-karts with her brother, who would later become a mechanic.
“I think I have two. One was in 2012, when I was still in go-karts, and I took pole position for the Super ROK Cup World Final. In the end I finished 8th out of about 100 drivers, so that was great!
“Another highlight is the Nürburgring 24 Hours last year. I enjoyed that a lot because it felt very special to be a part of this legendary race for the first time.”
* Competing with the aptly named ‘Girls Only Team by WS Racing’, Jasmin teamed with Carrie Schreiner and Ronja Assmann in a Volkswagen Golf GTI, and even qualified 3rd of the ‘SP3T’ class runners.
“Sorry, but I have to say the Nordschleife! I really enjoy it! It’s not easy to drive because every lap is completely different, it’s very difficult to get right, and anything can happen. It just doesn’t feel like a ‘normal’ race track, and if you can drive quickly through the 'green hell', it’s a very special feeling.”
“There have been a few funny situations with some of the boys. I remember one race, there was a boy – who I won’t name! – and there was a bit of flirting before we went out for qualifying. At the end of that session, I was quicker than him. He didn’t take that too well, and the flirting suddenly stopped!
“That can happen, but fortunately most of the drivers I compete with show me respect.”
JP: “I have a new helmet for this season, and it has three pictures. On the top, I have a crab, which signifies my… Sternzeichen... I’m not sure what the word is…”
CREVENTIC: "Star sign?"
JP: “Yes, star sign, Cancer. And then on the sides, I have my name and two roses, because I like flowers! But the really special part for me is the star sign, because I was born in July.”
“I think I have a very strong spirit. I always want to do a good job. Sometimes, maybe, I can want something a bit too much, but this means I drive with everything I have.”
“I’d like an action film. That would be pretty cool! So maybe… [pause]… how about Angelina Jolie? She seems pretty tough!”
“I would like to be a professional racing driver. At the moment I’m also working in the office as well as racing*, but one day I’d love for racing to be my full time job.”
*Currently, Jasmin works 8-5, Monday to Friday, at the compensation fund in Switzerland.
“I usually drink a beer from my sponsor the night before the race. But, pssst, this is of course a secret!”
“I like that you can drive for a long time, and I like that you can drive during the night as well. There aren’t many series that you can do that. In fact, Portimão was the first time that I drove on-track during the night, and I enjoyed that a lot!
“For me, CREVENTIC is a nice group as well. With Covid-19, things are a bit difficult, but I’m confident that, when things return to normal, more teams will return to compete. CREVENTIC inspires a lot of confidence in that way.”
* Images courtesy of Petr Frýba and Volkswagen Motorsport. Words by James Gent. Jasmin Preisig was speaking with Quinten Kentie at the Hankook 16H HOCKENHEIMRING. You can also check out the interview in our COPPA FLORIO 12H Sicily digital magazine, available for download at the link below:
