Volker & Prumper complete ETS podium
Ronald Volker and Yannic Prumper completed the podium at Round 2 of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series in Germany after the Yokomo pairing claimed a 1-2 finish in the 3rd A-main. With Marc Rheinard wrapping up his first ETS win on carpet in 5-years with a second win of the weekend in A2 and sitting out A3, the closing race of the record breaking event would see Volker lead an uneventful race from start to finish. Behind him Prumper, despite making early attempts to pass his team-mate would run the entire race in second despite coming under pressure from a much improved Alexander Hagberg in the closing laps. Winner of the event last year, Hagberg would be classified 4th overall followed by Viktor Wilck and Christopher Krapp, all drivers having started the leg with a chance of a podium finish.
Despite crossing the finish almost 2-seconds ahead of Prumper, Volker said he still lacked pace & traction at the beginning and until half way he had a ‘mirror full of cars’. Getting better towards the end the defending champion said it still lacked overall balance. Saying he ‘can’t be unhappy with second’, he said he is looking forward to switching to outdoor action for Round 3 in Italy having enjoyed his best season on asphalt last season enroute to his four consecutive title.
Putting pressure on Volker at the start, Prumper said while he had the faster car he could not find a way passed. With his car developing understeer over the 5-minutes he said this allowed his team-mate to pull away. Coming under the attention of Hagberg in the closing part of the race, both driver former 2-time ETS race winners, he said he was a little surprised at how strong Hagberg’s pace was in the end. Pleased to have two podium finishes from the opening two rounds of the championship, the 21-year-old said having been so close to so many potential wins he hopes Italy will be a better and he can put himself on the top step of the podium.
Setting the fastest lap of A3, Hagberg said fitting a new carbon chassis plate on his Xray left him with a car that was ‘finally drivable’. Having found the previous chassis on his T4 to be tweaked, the Swede said the discovery came ‘too late’.
Changing tyres for the last race, Wilck said he still didn’t have enough grip with the switch. Running third for 12-laps on lap 13 he ‘hit the curb and that was it’, the Swede finishing fifth behind Krapp but getting the tie-breaker to finish fifth overall ahead of the German on his Serpent debut. Describing it as a ‘good start with my new team’ he added, ‘the pace was good, I just need to get more points in qualifying and I should be fine for the finals.
With Pro Stock and Formula also decided in A2, the third main was also about deciding who would stand each side of Marek Cerny and Jan Rathiesky on the podiums. In Formula, despite having already won, Rathiesky lined up on pole position but with Xray team-mate Bruno Coelho unable to get his Xray X1 to respond to the radio, back to back champion Rathiesky handed over his car to the Portuguese driver so he could complete his Formula class debut. Getting passed Francesco Martini, Coehlo would win the leg to finish 2nd overall with Martini making it an all factory Xray podium.
In the Xray Pro Stock A3 encounter Rathiesky would take the win ahead of team-mate Mike Gosvig, a result that would see them both join Cerny on the podium, Gosvig finishing the overall runner-up.
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