Rheinard & Stocker victorious at ETS Rd1
Marc Rheinard and Alexander Stocker are the first winners of the 2008/2009 Much More backed Euro Touring Series, winning the opening round in Kastellaun, Germany after the fight for top honours went down to the third A Main in both categories. With a win each the Modified class was between Tamiya team-mate Rheinard and Jilles Groskamp. Having TQ’d the event and the only driver to record 29 laps, the former World Champion looked like he had victory in the bag after Leg 1 but defending ETS champion Groskamp set a blistering pace in Leg 2 recording the fastest lap of the weekend on his way to a thrilling victory over Rheinard. This set up a head to head battle for Leg 3.
Having broken clear of the rest of the field from the very first lap and running noise to tail ‘the show was on’ for the large crowd of spectators. Groskamp got a great opportunity to pass the No.1 car when it caught a corner dot but opted not to risk diving down the inside of Rheinard at the next corner. Applying intense pressure on the leader, lap 21 of 28 saw Groskamp hand the current European Champion the break he needed when he flipped his TRF416 in front of the rostrum. This also allowed Freddy Sudhoff, who put in a great performance all weekend, to catch up and eventually find a way passed to cross the finish line in second and claim third overall behind the two professional Tamiya Racing Factory drivers.
In Pro Stock Daniel Wohlgemuth looked like he was going to convert his TQ into overall victory after an early challenge from Leg 2 winner and defending Champion Alexander Stocker appeared to faded in the third. With Wohlgemuth’s Xray seemlying unstoppable Stocker’s Hot Bodies suddenly found a new lease of life eating rapidly into the leader’s cushion. Closing him right down a beautiful move before the double chicane put Stocker in front where he would stay to claim victory for the Leg and overall. The German National Champion was clearly delighted at repeating his 2007 win which gets his ETS title defence off to a perfect start.
So the curtain has come down on a great opening race to the second edition of the Euro Touring Series. 163 competitors travelled from around Europe to Kastellaun this weekend and from the J Final all the way up to the A Main we experienced super racing helped greatly by the legendary commentary of Scotty Ernst, one of the men responsible for creating the ETS. Round 2 takes top level touring car racing to new territories when on December 6/7 the series travels to Budapest in Hungary. Red RC will be there to bring you full race coverage.
