Prumper takes opening qualifier
Current European Junior Champion Yannic Prumper has gotten his 2009/10 Xenon Racing Euro Touring Series campaign off to a strong start by topping the opening round of qualifying here in Kastellaun, Germany. The young German TQ’d the first qualifier ahead of Xray’s Alexander Hagberg and Yokomo team driver Ronald Volker.
Copying the set-up used by his Tamiya/Speedpassion team-mate Marc Rheinard to record the fastest lap time of yesterday’s practice, Prumper said his modified TRF416 was on the limit in terms of traction rolling but steady driving allowed him to keep the car rubber side down to clock at 26 laps in 5:10.227. The 16-year-old will not make any set-up adjustment for the second of the five qualifiers but with the best two to count he may run his second set of new tyres next time out to try secure early his place in the A-Main.
Opening his account with second spot, Hagberg said his car had the potential to take the TQ for the round and it was his own driving that cost him the top spot. With the track grip levels increasing this morning, the Swede started off the run very cautiously but once he pushed he found his new T3 was not as on edge as he was expecting.
Volker said his LRP powered BD5 had understeer, but this made the car very easy to drive in the high traction conditions. Describing his run to the third fastest time, he said the trick now is to find a comprise set-up between a very easy to drive car and one which wants to traction roll. The former European Champion will now concentrate on making changes to the front end of his car.
World Champion Rheinard took the fourth fastest time after his Tamiya traction rolled a number of times. The winner here last year, the German said new tyres might help things but the biggest improvement will be found in changing his driving style. Looking at the time sheets fifth fastest man Juho Levanen said ‘that sucks’. Having changed the set-up on his TC5 from yesterday, the factory Associated driver got caught out by the extra traction this morning resulting in his Reedy powered car spending a lot of time on two wheels. The Finn will revert to yesterday’s set-up for his next outing. Young British star Elliot Harper completed the Top 6 followed by European 200mm Champion Dirk Wischnewski.
In Pro Stock Alexander Stocker TQ’d the round by the narrowist of margins. Heading home yesterday’s pace setter Matthias Lang, the German pair were seperated by just .027 of a second. Stocker said he had to drive with extreme care and couldn’t push at all or his Hot Bodies would flip. Aiming for a hat trick of Kastellaun wins, the former ETS Champion will change the steering ackerman and glue the walls of the control Xenon tyre for Q2. Lang, who lost two seconds as a result of a driver error, said his Xray T3 was really on the edge and plans to try a different tyre additive and moving the shock positions. Having qualified 36th at this event last year, Tamiya driver Mike Treder was very surprised to find himself third on the time sheets. The young German said he drove a steady run in the tricky condition and was delighted with the reward.
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