Hagberg takes Q2
Team Xray’s Alexander Hagberg posted his first ever TQ run of the ETS when he steered his T3 2012 to the fastest time in the second qualifier at the Euro Touring Series third round in Gran Canaria. The Swede, who was fourth fastest in Q1 following a mistake, took Q2 from a much improved Andy Moore with the pace setter from this morning’s opening round Christopher Krapp completing the Top 3.
Running a clean second qualifier, Hagberg said the rise in track temperature over the morning’s first run had benefited his car and that compared with the cars of the other teams his had better pace on the second run of the controlled Ride tyres. Happy to continue with the set-up he started out the day with, the Snowbirds champion believes the biggest call for the remaining three rounds of qualifying will be when to take the gamble on running the second of the two sets of tyres each driver has been allocated.
Planning to switch to a lighter oil for Q2 Moore opted instead to fit a more flexible top deck to his TCXX along with changing to a lighter oil in the rear diff. The British ace said the changes did improve the car and he was happy to go second fastest but he still needs to find something more but added the Q2 changes have given him something solid to build on.
Fastest in Q1, Kyosho’s Krapp described his second heat as a solid run but said he was lacking overall traction and he plans to try a different tyre prep for his next outing. Behind the German the Tamiya team completed the Top 6 with Viktor Wilck again the top TRF417 despite saying his set-up changes after Q1 was in the wrong direction. Both Wilck and Marc Rheinard, who set the fourth & fifth fastest times respectively, said their cars struggled on used tyres and they are both expected to run the second set of tyres in Q3 in a gamble to get at least one strong round for the team. Completely changing the set-up on his Orion powered example for Q2, Elliot Harper said it was a little better but the run wasn’t perfect with a spin costing him around a second.
Championship leader Ronald Volker pulled up his Yokomo to save tyres after a roll ended any chance of a Top 3 finish. Chasing his third straight win in the series here this weekend the German struggled with under steer and said his roll was the result of pushing too hard to try make up time. Another driver to pull up after a mistake again to save his tyres was Awesomatix driver Steen Graversen.
In the Xray Pro Stock class former Hobby Class champion Michal Orlowski from Poland TQ’d the second qualifier ahead of current champion Martin Hofer and local Gran Canaria driver Alvaro Fernandez.
View the complete results here.
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