New Xray sets early pace in Kastellaun
Xray’s new T3 chassis is setting the early pace here in Kastellaun at the opening round of the Xenon Racing Euro Touring Series with the new car holding the Top 4 placings after 3 of the 5 practice runs. Over 5-minutes it is Alexander Hagberg who posted the fastest run putting with 25 laps in 5:08.422. In terms of lap times it is again Xray on top with lead factory driver Teemu Leino producing a best time of 11.751 with the next best time coming from fellow countryman Juho Levanen at the controls of his Associated TC5.
Hagberg who was running the basic kit set-up on his T3 said the car felt really good. Running a 5.5 motor this is Hagberg’s first LiPo race and he is enjoying the reduced work load the new batteries offer. With the traction continuing to increase the Swede plans to make some small set-up adjustments for the final two practice runs. Less than a second adrift of Hagberg, Martin Hudy is very happy with both his early pace and that of the new car. Only his second outing in the ETS, Hudy featured strongly on his series debut in Budapest last season finishing on the podium and describing the track as ‘great’ he should feature in Sunday’s A-Main. Finishing on the podium here last year, Freddy Sudhoff was next up ahead of British team-mate Elliot Harper. Sudhoff is finding the new car so much easier to drive and is confident of being back on the podium on Sunday.
Fastest non Xray driver at the moment in fifth spot is Tamiya Racing Factory driver Viktor Wilck. The Swede said his 416WE feels ‘so, so’ and he plans to try heavier shock oil next time out. Asking last year’s Kastellaun winner Marc Rheinard how he was getting on, his response was straight to the point, ‘I’m not driving good’. Pitting next to the Tamiya pairing is Hot Bodies lead driver Andy Moore. Asked about his third run the former World Champion replied, ‘I know now what not to try’, referring to set-up changes he made that resulted in his car traction rolling.
In Pro Stock it is last year’s winner & former Champion Alexander Stocker who sets the pace from Martin Hofer. Hofer is normally found mixing it in Modified but the Team Yokomo driver was talked into switching by Stocker and another of Pro Stock’s leading driver Daniel Wohlgemuth at the 2008/09 ETS Finale in Andernach back in July. Slovak driver Zdenko Kunak, who is competing in both Modified and Pro Stock, was third fastest ahead of ETS race winner Matthias Lang.
View our image gallery here.
