Asmer does Pro Stock/Formula double
Serpent driver Jan Asmer became the first double category race winner today when he took the overall win in both the Xray Pro Stock and Formula classes at the season opener of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series in the Czech Republic. Having already made ETS history yesterday when he TQ’d both classes, the final day of the Hrotovice event did not get off to a good start for the German but in the final round of A-Main he turned things around to win both of his A3 encounters to secure the top step on the podium. A great start to the defense of his Formula title, the win in Pro Stock’s marks his first touring car win with him describing that race as the hardest 5-minutes he has experienced in racing.
First up for Amser was the deciding Main for Formula. Second in A1 and only 4th in A2, he not only needed to win but he also needed to better the time of TOP Racing’s Roman Pichler who already had a win in A2 and a 2nd in A1. Describing the win as easy, he said he put himself under a lot of pressure due to race time but he was able to keep that pressure under control winning from Pichler in a time that was 5-seconds faster that his Swiss rival’s winning time. Winner of the opening A-Main, Austria’s Thomas Pumpler completed the podium of the increasingly popular class with his Speed Passion just one of a wide selection of different brands of cars that have joined the field.
Having had an electrical problem in A1 of Pro Stock causing him to have to race with a borrowed car which due to an incorrect speedo setting would not be competitive, second in A2 put Asmer back in the hunt for the win going into the final leg. Leading away the field this time he was able to keep Martin Hofer at bay again taking the overall victory thanks to race winning time. For defending champion Marek Cerny contact from Hofer ended the Xray driver’s quest for a repeat home victory with him finishing 8th to be classified 4th overall. Some consolation for Xray was Tobias Vogel joining Amser and Hofer on the podium.
With Ronald Volker pulling off the perfect weekend in the RIDE Modified Class by wrapping up the win in Leg 2, the closing race of the event was all about deciding who would join the 3-time defending champion on the podium. With Volker sitting out the race it was Xray’s Alexander Hagberg that lead away the field. Holding of intense pressure from Freddy Sudhoff, on lap 15 of 25 the Swede got it wrong at the end of the straight his T4’14 flying off the track allowing Sudhoff through for the win. The result was good enough to see the lead Awesomatix team driver repeat his Czech podium of last season. Again finishing second in the leg Tamiya Racing Factory’s Marc Rheinard would secure the runners up spot, the series’ most winning driver declaring himself happy with the result having failed to make the podium at last season’s opening race. The only driver to take the title chase to Volker the last three seasons, the former Champion said he is looking forward to Round 2 having been encouraged by the progress he made over this weekend.
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