Practice completed, Championship leaders top reseed
Euro Touring Series championship leader Marc Rheinard has ended practice for Round 4 in Poland at the top of the time sheets. Over the five practice runs the German recorded both the fastest individual lap time with a 16.233 and a Superpole time, average of his best three laps, of 16.352 around the huge track here in the Arena Ursynow. Running a 4 turn Speed Passion motor in his Tamiya TRF416 X, the German said the car felt pretty good despite running a fresh set of the controlled Xenon tyres in the final, and fastest, practice session.
Behind Rheinard with a Superpole time of 16.415 is the other half of the Tamiya Racing Factory team Viktor Wilck. The Swede was also happy with how his car is performing but looking over the individual lap times, in which his fastest lap is 15/100 off that of his team-mate, the Kastellaun winner was surprised by the gap saying ‘that’s too much’.
Fastest after three rounds of practice Zdenek Hamak has ended up third fastest continuing on from his impressive showing at his home race in the Czech Republic. The Xray supported driver managed only two laps in the fourth practice after a problem with a front CVD pin on his T3, the lost track time forcing him to make a lot of set-up changes for the final practice. The Czech driver said the changes made the car much smoother to drive and with a few very small changes, the car can be strong for the opening qualifier which takes place for the Hobby and Modified classes later this evening.
Putting in a great final round of practice, privateer Tamiya driver Sebastian Lein managed the fourth fastest time just ahead of last year’s Polish victor Yannic Prumper. With almost every other one of the 200 drivers racing here this weekend waiting for traction to increase, Prumper is struggling to keep his Tonisport car on four weeks due to grip roll. The young German said the car was the best it has been all day but is puzzled as to why he is the only driver suffering with too much traction. Due to his poor pace in the earlier sessions Prumper ended the reseed, based on the average best two Superpole times, in 12th. Completing the Top 6 in the reseed, David Ehrbar managed 5th from Xray’s Martin Hudy.
In Pro Stock practice ended with championship leader Alexander Stocker topping the reseed from Zdenko Kunák who actually recorded the fastest Superpole time with his Xray averaging 17.242 in the final session. Top Danish Pro Stock racer Carsten Madsen ranked third ahead of Tommy Bergfeldt. Bergfeldt, who is running a new colour scheme on his Redbull backed Hot Bodies, said he feels he has found a better line for the open track but is still playing with the gearing to get the best from his Advanced Electronics speedo. Germany’s Jan Gehrig did a good job to be reseeded 5th ahead of ETS Round 3 winner Daniel Wohlgemuth.
Winner here last year, taking his first ever international win, Meik Niemann is enjoying being back racing saying the big track was making it easier for him. The German who is now running a Hot Bodies Cyclone said he is having problems getting the right setting for on his LRP speedo but overall is happy with how practice has gone despite managing only 35th in the reseed. The large Pro Stock entry will have to wait till the morning for their first of the five scheduled rounds of qualifying.
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