Runner-up of the TC Pista in 2014, champion of the TN Class 3 in 2019 and 2020 and runner-up of the TC in 2019, Jose Manuel Urcera fulfilled one of his great dreams in December: to become champion of the most popular category in Argentina,
But in addition to standing out on the tracks, the 31-year-old pilot has recently gained notoriety for his romance with Nicole Neuman, 42 years old. On both issues “Manu” he spoke with NEWS a few days before winning the TC crown in the picturesque bar of Bajo Buenos Aires Dadá Bistró, where he arrived with his luxurious motorcycle, another of his passions.
News: His beginnings were with motorcycles, from a very young age. In fact, for his Instagram, he chose a photo from that time. Tell me about it.
Jose Manuel Urcera: I started doing motocross at the age of four and continued until I was 19. In that photo I am with my grandmother and my first motorcycle, in San Antonio Oeste, Río Negro, where I was born.
News: How was that passion born?
Urcera: I don’t know, I think that everyone has a greater affinity for something innately. It coincided with the fact that my father raced as an amateur, first in cars and then on motorcycles; and my grandfather, on motorcycles, but in a super amateur way.
News: That didn’t matter?
Urcera: Sure, but I think around the age of two he already had that inclination.
News: Why did you switch from motorcycles to cars?
Urcera: Because motocross is very nice, but very risky, you are very prone to serious injuries. That, added to the fact that in Argentina it is not a professional sport since it is very difficult to make a living from it, it was going to run abroad or switch to cars. So in 2010 I did a test with a Gol Monobrand car, and since I liked it, in 2011 I started racing in that category. Motorsport, apart from liking it, is my job; and at that time I felt that I had to find a return to my passion, to give it an economic meaning.
News: Didn’t you try motorcycles abroad?
Urcera: I ran a few times in Chile, Brazil and the United States, but I also put my family and friends on the scale. Apart from the injuries, because I had several breaks. What in a car is an oversight, in a motorcycle is a fall, and in each fall the bumper is the body.
News: In 2022 he had a big accident with his Torino in a TC race in La Pampa. Was it worse than the ones he had on motorcycles?
Urcera: That was a very strong blow, the worst of all. The safety of the cars and my physical condition helped me, but I could have died. I hit a wall from the side at 250 kilometers per hour. Luckily, nothing serious happened. I was able to walk out, with a sprained knee, but I suffered pulmonary edema, plus other internal blows, and for 10 days I was in pain like never before. In cars I overturned several times, but that was the worst accident.
News: Are you a believer? Ayrton Senna used to say that he entrusted himself to God.
Urcera: I’m Catholic, but I don’t go to church. I wouldn’t say that I entrust myself to God, but I try to limit the risk in terms of knowing how far I can go.
News: After such an accident, what happens when you get back in a race car? Can you make a clean slate?
Urcera: Shortly after the accident in La Pampa, I had to race in Italy, and yes or yes I had to turn the page and continue. Its accidents are part of motorsport, the part you least want, but they will continue to happen. In this sport, irrigation is always close.
News: Last September, after two titles in the TN Class 3 with Larrauri Racing, he decided to change teams and brands. Because?
Urcera: It was a risky bet. At that time he had great chances for a championship, but more for regularity than for potential. I felt that the car was not working the way I wanted it to, and that if I stayed put, I was not going to have a title chance. My priority is to win, and when I feel there is a better way, I try.
News: The results, however, were not as expected. Still, do you think you took the right step?
Urcera: With Monday’s newspaper in hand, I’m not going to tell you that I’m happy, but I don’t regret it because, if I hadn’t made that decision, I would have been left wondering what would have happened.
News: Last year, in addition, he had his first experience in Europe, with a Ferrari of the Italian GT in pairs with a driver from that country, with whom he fought for the title until the last race.
ulcer: Yes, I wanted to try my luck abroad and it happened to me. Driving a more powerful car, on tracks I didn’t know and with other rivals, nourished me as a driver. I got out of my comfort zone and learned a lot.
News: Will it repeat in 2023?
Urcera: We have to see what possibilities arise. I hope it happens, because I wanted to win the championship. I wouldn’t call it frustration, but after winning the third race and taking another three podiums almost without knowing the category, it was not what I expected.
News: What differences did you notice between local and Italian motorsport?
Urcera: The passion of the Argentine public is incomparable, difficult to find elsewhere.
News: Even in Italy, where they are such fans of motorsport?
Urcera: Yes, and that the GT is the best category of cars with a roof in Italy. Then, obviously, due to the types of cars and the economic difference, the cars in Europe are more technological. The way of working is also more professional.
News: From what I saw on his social networks, he dedicates a lot of time to physical preparation. How important is it?
Urcera: If it’s not too hot and on tracks that aren’t so demanding, it’s not that noticeable, but when the conditions are more complex, a good physical preparation gives you a plus over the rest. When I go to the gym, I treat it as part of my job, not fun. This is my job, and everything I can put in will help me become a better driver.
News: But do you enjoy it?
Urcera: No. I enjoy more going to play paddle tennis or soccer with friends, or eating everything. I, like most, like to eat a cake more than a fruit salad. But taking care of my physique is part of my preparation.
News: And how do you approach mental preparation?
Urcera: I don’t think much about it. My peace of mind comes from doing everything I have to do in the best possible way before each race. That is what gives me peace of mind and allows me to give the best version of myself.
News: He was wondering because Nicole, his partner, is a fan of yoga. She never practiced it based on concentration?
Urcera: Once I accompanied her, but more to stretch than for anything else. My concentration goes through being attentive to all the details. I’m not going to tell you that it amuses me, because she would be lying to you. I don’t know whether to call it pressure, it’s adrenaline.
News: Nicole recently said: “To fall in love, the man must be stronger, more enterprising and more visceral than me. For me, who wears my life, which I am so used to solving, the type who doubts or who takes me to a comfort zone, demotivates me. In my case, admiration runs hand in hand with libido”. Do you recognize yourself in that?
Urcera: Yes, I like to sleep little, be active all day, always thinking about growing, going for more. I never settle for what I have.
News: He recently associated motorsports with adrenaline. Does his relationship with Nicole have adrenaline?
Urcera: It is a normal relationship, we try to support each other, like any couple. If she has any doubts about hers, she consults me; and I do the same with mine.
News: Does the public exposure that comes with being Nicole’s partner bother you?
Urcera: No, nothing changed.
News: Going back to your profession, how long do you plan to run?
Urcera: Don’t know. A touring car driver can be competitive until the age of 45 without problems, but I don’t plan it. As long as I have the same desire as today, I will continue.
News: What do you plan to do when you leave motorsport?
Urcera: I haven’t thought about it yet. Maybe something connected to my father’s companies.
News: But his father has oil service companies. Wouldn’t he prefer to remain linked to motorsports in another role?
Urcera: It can be too. But not as my main job, but as a hobby. I don’t know if the idea of being in the world of racing without being in a car amuses me.
by Sergio Nunez
