Jose Manuel Urcera He discovered his love for motor sports when he was very young, but it was only at the age of 19 that he started racing cars. It was in 2011, when he left behind the motocross that he had practiced since he was 4 and plunged into a new world, determined to make a professional career. He had to start from scratch and learn what he was racing on four wheels instead of two. Eleven years later, he reached the top of Argentine motorsports: to be champion of Road Tourism.
At El Villicum in San Juan, on Sunday, December 11 was crowned for the first time in the most popular category of national motorsports and gave Torino its first title in 51 years. Why did Urcera scream champion? Because from the moment he sat in the cockpit of a car, he knew that if he wanted to fulfill his goals and his dreams, the recipe was clear: a lot of work and a lot of sacrifice. And so he did.
“In Argentine motorcycling there are very passionate people and a very good level of riders and trainers, but at the age of 19 to be a professional I had to go to the United States. I had already spent a lot of time there and it cost me uprooting. So I leaned towards motor racing, the great passion of Argentines, after football”, the champion tells Clarion in a telephone interview.
“Since I arrived, my clear goal was to be TC champion, the highest achievement a driver can aspire to in this country. I set myself that goal and tried to work as hard as possible to make it happen,” he explains.
“I had to make up for my ignorance and lack of experience compared to other pilots with effort and sacrifice. And I was willing to do whatever was necessary to achieve my goals,” he stresses.
Urcera is passionate about engines from the cradle. “I started motorcycling because when I was a kid my dad used to race motorcycles. But the fact of competing and being on top of a car, a motorcycle or a go-kart always caught my attention. I wanted to race anything with an engine since before I started talking“, sentence.
“It is difficult to explain why,” he adds, but his intrinsic relationship with the fierce: “When I was a kid and we’d go on vacation, the only way to calm me down when I was a little restless was to tell me they were going to take me somewhere that rented go-carts or ATVs for a ride.”
What since he was a boy was perceived as his passion was shaped over time until it reached this present. “That feeling hasn’t changed. Although today I do everything professionally, like a job, and I’m starting to enjoy other things. I like winning and competition. I am competitive in anything. And when something doesn’t work out for me, I try to dedicate time to make it work out better for me,” he admits.
That is perhaps the best way to understand how Urcera’s head works: competitive and a perfectionist, he always works thinking of growing and improving himself to be the best possible at what he does.
-Does that competitiveness make you think about motorsport all the time or can you make time to enjoy other things?
-I also try to enjoy and do other things and get rid of the constant pressure of being in competition, but it’s hard for me. I like to do everything, but the reality is that a large part of my life is dedicated to motorsports. And if I do any other sport, I do it thinking that it will help me to be a little better when I get into a racing car. Some sport that demands reflexes, some physical demand or concentration.
-Like which?
-In the summer, I’m always on top of the jet ski or water skiing, wakeboarding o windsurfing. In the winter I really like to ski. During the year I practice tennis, paddle tennis, cycling and I still do motocross from time to time.
-Are you as good in one of those sports as in motor racing?
-In motocross, despite the fact that I haven’t competed for a long time and that I dedicate a few days a year to it, I have a certain ease and possibly it comes more naturally to me. In the rest I do it as an amateur. My physical condition will surely help me, which matters in all sports. But I’m not very good at either.
The man from Rio Negro began his national career in 2012 in TC Mouraswas runner-up in TC Lane in 2014 and Class 3 champion of the National tourism in 2019 and 2020. He leaves nothing to chance in his career and follows a rigorous training plan, in which physical preparation occupies an important place.
“The drivers are athletes and driving a race car is extremely physically demanding, so if you are not physically fit it is impossible to be fast and competitive,” he says, recalling that in the race that crowned him champion, in San Juan , drove with 65 degree temperature inside the car.
“I work very hard in the gym every day. I have two teachers, Charly and Martín, who prepares the routines for me according to each stage of the championship and the year. He’s all thinking,” he details.
And he adds: “I also work mentally with training that involves the cognitive part and concentration, which try to simulate the different situations that one can experience in the car during the race. The head in the athlete is extremely important. And I’m trying to improve all the time and working on it to be in the best possible way”.
In a relationship since last year with the model and businesswoman Nicole Neumannwho was present in several of the races of this championship, Manu He acknowledges: “Being going through a good time in my personal life helps, because it gives you peace of mind and mental stability. My girlfriend supports me and accompanies me and that manages to get a little more out of me.”
Effort and delivery. That was Urcera’s secret to reaching the top of the TC. “In addition to a greater maturity on my part and a team (the Machine Partswhich he joined this year) who supported me a lot and worked very well”, he adds.
But how It has happened to him since he began his career in motorsports, after the consecration the voices that detract him for the comfortable economic position of his family (his father owns several companies linked to the oil industry). And the man from Rio Negro was not affected by those comments.
“I take it as an indication that I’m doing things right, right? Because if I was doing things wrong and the results were not good, it probably wouldn’t bother anyone and nobody would talk about it. Criticism is part of success. If in Argentina some still criticize Messi, who is a genius and an undisputed figure in the world, imagine if they are not going to criticize me.”exemplifies the global climate.
“The more successful you are, the more criticism you receive. There are always people who are going to seek to detract from that success -he continues his line of argument-. Possibly one way to disqualify my ability and my achievements is to talk about my family’s financial situation. But I’m calm, because I know that a TC championship is won only with a lot of work and sacrifice”.
And he concludes with an extensive reflection on this topic that evidently always followed him in his career. “Motor racing is a very expensive sport and those who practice it have a good economic past. All the drivers who race in the TC are professionals and have more or less the same budget. Today I do not run with my family’s resources; I run and I get the resources through sponsors who support my project, and I pay them back with results for the sacrifice that supporting a TC car and trust means -he makes it clear-. The pillow is the best critic: when you go to bed, you know if you did things wrong or right. And when the results happen because you worked hard to make them happen, it’s very comforting.”
In the history books of the TC
The title that he won at the San Juan racetrack after finishing fourth in a race that he won Leonel Pernia and secure first place gold Cup It did not mark just a milestone in Urcera’s personal career.
the rionegrino broke a long drought for Torino, which had not celebrated in the highest category of national motorsports since 1971, with the last consecration of Ruben Luis Di Palmaand that he added his sixth crown, with a list of champions that has only four names.
Manu joined Eduardo Copello, winner in 1967 and 1970. In this last year the championship was divided into two tournaments: Formula A, which was run on routes and semi-permanent circuits, and Formula B, which was held on racetracks, where San Juan won. At the same time, Gaston Perkins it was crowned in 1969 and Di Palma kept the other 1970 trophy and repeated the following year.
“Being the fourth driver to win a championship with Torino, who has only six in his record, is something very nice. In the run-up to the final race I tried not to think about it, because it was going to be my first TC championship and that was already very important. But the truth is that I always had it in mind and in one way or another it kept me motivated,” he admits.
“Seeing my name next to Copello, Perkins and Di Palma is incredible. They are surnames of the most important and influential of the TC. Being close to them puts me in a situation of privilege and surprise as well. And a lot of happiness,” she adds.
Urcera started his career at TC in 2015 with Chevroletbrand with which he raced until last year and was runner-up in 2019. After the victory this year, he already confirmed that he will return in 2023 with a Maquin Parts Torino and will also join the TC Pickup with the same team. Will the man from Rio Negro become the new idol of Tour?
“I don’t think about it, but if my result makes people happy, it fills me with joy,” he replies. makes a great sacrifice to accompany him and follow him. Hopefully we can continue to bring happiness to the fans of Torino”.
-You said that since you started in motorsport your goal was to be TC champion. It is a dream that all Argentine pilots have. What is special about this category?
-The passion that arouses in people. The TC is the popular passion of Argentines after soccer. And we know what football generates… It’s hard to explain. Being this year’s champion gives me enormous happiness and a lot of satisfaction. It is something very difficult to achieve. It is the toughest and most important category in the country. Here are the best drivers and teams. And having been the best of the year among the best fills us with pride.
HS