Yokomo claim first ETS 1-2 finish
Reigning Euro Touring Series Champions Team Yokomo scored their first 1-2 podium finish of the series this evening in Italy with Yannic Prümper securing second overall behind team-mate Ronald Volker with a convincing win in the third leg of the Ride Modified A-Main. Leading from start to finish the 18-year-old took an easy win with Kyosho’s Christopher Krapp finishing second after a great battle with Tamiya’s Marc Rheinard who came home third to claim the final step on the podium in Scandiano.
Having traction rolled in Leg 2 while challenging his team-mate for the race lead, Prümper glued up the tyre walls of his front tyres which was to transform the feeling of his Thunder Power backed BD5. Pushing hard over the opening laps he said once he established a gap over Rheinard, who started directly behind him, he was able to control the race and cruise to the all important Leg victory. Proving this weekend that he may be on the verge of breaking into the same league as Volker and Rheinard, who are widely recognised as the best Touring Car drivers in the World, the German was very happy with this weekend having just made it into the A-Main at the season opener where he only finished 6th. Asked if he thinks he can continue today’s form at next ETS event which is on asphalt Prümper said due to school he is not sure he can even make the March event.
Choosing to run his spare TRF417 in Leg 3, Rheinard said the feeling he got in the warm-up with the thinner chassis was a false one as it was ‘really bad’ in the race proper. While Prümper cleared off in front, the World Champion found himself under attack from the No.6 car of factory Kyosho driver Christopher Krapp. Eventually with the World Championship finalist on his bumper Rheinard traction rolled through the right hand sweeper three laps from home allowing Krapp through to second.
Finishing fourth overall, Krapp said his Orion powered TF6 has been competitive all day but his starting position meant he never got a clean run until Leg 3 but he was really happy to show the car is quick especially following the announcement earlier in the week that its designer Shin Adachi is to leave Kyosho. Third in the standings the German said while they have made great progress on carpet he is really looking forward to Gran Canaria as the car has always been much stronger on asphalt.
With the Xray Pro Stock winner also decided in the second A-Main with Steffen Leinburger adding another international win to his CV since moving to Hot Bodies at the start of the season, the German sat out the Leg 3. With a blank spot on the grid behind him Top Qualifier Zdenko Kunák was able to take the win to secure second spot on the podium which sees him extend his lead in the standings over Oliver Franke who ended the day third overall.
In the inaugural Speed Passion Formula class, which attracted a very encouraging 39 competitors, there was success for the locals with Marco Donadelli getting the better of Swiss driver & Top Qualifier Roman Pichler.
The first time Italy has played host to the Yokomo Euro Touring Series, the event has been a huge success and combined with the special atmosphere of the weekend it set to become a regular fixture on the ETS calendar.
Ride Modified Leg 3 Result
1.(2) Yannic Prümper (DE) – Yokomo/Speed Passion – 24/5:09.824
2.(6) Christopher Krapp (DE) – Kyosho/Orion – 23/5:00.015
3.(3) Marc Rheinard (DE) – Tamiya/Speed Passion – 23/5:03.370
4.(8) Andy Moore (GB) – Hot Bodies/HPI Flux – 23/5:04.832
5.(10)Dominik Fleischmann (DE) – Hot Bodies/LRP – 23/5:05.162
6.(4) Alexander Hagberg (SE) – Xray/LRP – 23/5:05.162
7.(7) Eric Dankel (DE) – Yokomo/LRP – 23/5:08.082
8.(9) Loic Jasmin (FR) – Yokomo/LRP – 23/5:15.038
9.(5) Viktor Wilck (SE) – Tamiya/Thunder Power – 20/4:35.320
10.(1)Ronald Völker (DE) – Yokomo/LRP – DNS
Ride Modified Overall Result
1. Ronald Völker (DE) – Yokomo/LRP – 2 pts
2. Yannic Prümper (DE) – Yokomo/Speed Passion – 3
3. Marc Rheinard (DE) – Tamiya/Speed Passion – 5
4. Christopher Krapp (DE) – Kyosho/Orion – 7
5. Eric Dankel (DE) – Yokomo/LRP – 11
6. Andy Moore (GB) – Hot Bodies/HPI Flux – 11
7. Viktor Wilck (SE) – Tamiya/Thunder Power – 11
8. Alexander Hagberg (SE) – Xray/LRP – 12
9. Dominik Fleischmann (DE) – Hot Bodies/LRP – 13
10.Loic Jasmin (FR) – Yokomo/LRP – 14
Xray Pro-Stock Leg 3 Result
1.(1) Zdenko Kunák (SK) – Xray – 22/5:03.686
2.(5) Oliver Franke (DE) – Hot Bodies – 22/5:05.143
3.(4) Felix Wiessmann (DE) – Yokomo – 22/5:07.996
4.(3) Ivan Laptev (RU) – Awesomatix – 22/5:10.274
5.(8) Michal Orlowski (PL) – Tamiya – 22/5:11.366
6.(9) Fabian Bucher (DE) – Xray – 22/5:13.402
7.(6) Alessio Menicucci (IT) – Xray – 22/5:13.794
8.(7) Philip Tschupp (CH) – TOP – 21/5:01.311
9.(10)Francesco Martini (IT) – Xray – 21/5:01.553
10.(2)Steffen Leinburger (DE) – Hot Bodies – DNS
Xray Pro-Stock Overall Result
1. Steffen Leinburger (DE) – Hot Bodies – 2 pts
2. Zdenko Kunák (SK) – Xray – 3
3. Oliver Franke (DE) – Hot Bodies – 4
4. Michal Orlowski (PL) – Tamiya – 8
5. Felix Wiessmann (DE) – Yokomo – 9
6. Fabian Bucher (DE) – Xray – 9
7. Ivan Laptev (RU) – Awesomatix – 10
8. Philip Tschupp (CH) – TOP – 13
9. Alessio Menicucci (IT) – Xray – 14
10.Francesco Martini (IT) – Xray – 18
View the complete results here.
View the event image gallery here. Videos from all mains to follow.
