Volker & Yokomo claim first ETS pole
Team Yokomo’s Ronald Volker will start on pole for Round 2 of the Xenon Racing backed Euro Touring Series after producing a blistering run in the final qualifier here in Budapest, Hungary. The German became the only driver to make 25 laps with a time of 5:12.338 and set a new fastest lap for the event taking his Yokomo BD5 around the large carpet track in 12.265. The new speed came thanks to Yokomo’s own R&D man Yukijiro Umino who, having tried a new set-up on his own car in Pro Stock, then transferred it to his team driver’s car. Volker said the changes made the car feel slower than in the previous rounds but it was a lot more stable allowing him get the time in. Having TQ’d the opening round of qualifying the result gives the recently crowned Japanese National Champion both his and Yokomo’s first ETS TQ honours.
Second fastest in Q4 was Yannic Prumper who pulled out a great drive to lift himself onto the back of the grid at the expense of Team Associated’s Juho Levanen who takes the unenviable BQ honours. Having struggled with traction roll throughout qualifying, Prumper ran Marc Rheinard’s T car, his race chassis from the European Championship in Luxembourg, and was finally able to complete his first clean run. The protege of Toni Rheinard, the young German will now revert back to his own TRF416 which Toni has fully rebuilt this morning and now features the belts moved to the opposite side of the chassis.
Martin Hudy set the third fastest time after opting for a safe set-up on his Xray T3. The Slovak driver who finished on the podium here last year, said the car had a lot of push but it was stable and this allowed him to drive a clean run and record his fastest time. Starting from 7th on the grid, Hudy will revert to his earlier on edge set-up for the first of the three A-Mains.
For the Tamiya Racing Factory pairing of Marc Rheinard and Viktor Wilck, both of whom were in contention for the overall TQ honours, Q4 didn’t go to plan. Rheinard pulled up early to save his tyres for the finals when a mistake cost him any hope of topping the round while Wilck broke his car with a spectacular roll that saw him clear half the track. Rheinard will start from second on the grid followed by Wilck, with Teemu Leino securing fourth position ahead of Xray team-mate Elliot Harper. 2006 World Champion Andy Moore, who found himself on the back of the B-Main grid in Kastellaun, completes the Top 6 on the grid for Hot Bodies.
In Pro Stock Japan’s Yukijiro Umino TQ’d the final qualifier but Alexander Stocker had done enough yesterday to secure his second consecutive ETS TQ honours. Umino, who says he is really enjoying his first ETS outing, will line up 3rd on the grid with his Yokomo behind local driver Gabor Forrai and is pretty confident he can challenge for the win. Having TQ’d the first round of qualifying, Forrai hopes he can finish on the podium but said his main focus is finishing first of the local drivers as this race is a counting round of the Hungarian National Championship.
Modified A-main grid
1. Völker Ronald (DE) – Yokomo/LRP
2. Rheinard Marc (DE) – Tamiya/Speedpassion
3. Wilck Viktor (SE) – Tamiya/Speedpassion
4. Leino Teemu (FI) – Xray/Team Orion
5. Harper Elliott (GB) – Xray/Nosram
6. Moore Andy (GB) – Hot Bodies/Team Orion
7. Hudy Martin (SK) – Xray/LRP
8. Kunák Zdenko (SK) – Xray/LRP
9. Lein Sebastian (DE) – Tamiya/Speedpassion
10. Prümper Yannic (DE) – Tamiya/Speedpassion
Pro Stock A-main grid
1. Stocker Alexander (DE) – Hot Bodies
2. Forrai Gabor (HU) – Tamiya
3. Umino Yukijiro (JP) – Yokomo
4. Kunák Zdenko (SK) – Xray
5. Faur Cristian (RO) – Serpent
6. Miko Peter (HU) – Hot Bodies
7. Rajki Balint (HU) – Hot Bodies
8. Orlowski Blazej (PL) – Tamiya
9. Juhász Viktor (HU) – Losi
10. Ashton Chris (GB) – Schumacher
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