Ratheisky takes opening Pro Stock qualifiers at ETS Austria
Jan Ratheisky has taken the opening two Pro Stock qualifiers at the opening round of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series in Vienna, Austria. Having topped seeding yesterday, the German kicked off Day 2 of the event with a very convincing TQ run with him finishing over 5-seconds clear of his rivals. Behind, Mustafa Alp was the only other driver to run 23 laps, the Turkish driver again excelling on Austrian soil having famously TQ’d the final round of modified qualifying in Traiskirchen back in 2012. Helge Johannessen would complete the Top 3, the big Norwegian finishing just ahead of reigning champion Alexandre Duchet and Max Mächler. In the second qualifier, Ratheisky would have to work much harder for his TQ. Having rolled his Awesomatix in Q1, Mächler swapped the TQ pace with the Xray driver throughout the 5-minutes but despite setting the fastest lap would eventually finish 9/10th off. Behind, Duchet had a roll, pulling up at the half way mark, while former DHI Cup Pro Stock Champion Tim Benson completed the Top 3 ahead of Simon Lauter and Alp.
In the Scorpion Power System Formula class it was also Ratheisky who was the man to beat. Top seed for qualifying the former champion took Q1 from reigning champion David Erbhar’s Serpent with Shepherd driver Olivier Bultynck completing the Top 3. In the second of the four qualifiers it was Infinity team driver Jitse Miedema who was Ratheisky’s closest challenger, the difference a substantial 7-seconds. René Kölbel completed the Top 3 followed by inaugural Formula champion Herbert Weber.
In the newly introduced Infinity Masters Touring Car class it was Miko Peter who TQ’d the opening qualifier ahead of Christian Drießle. That order was reversed in Q2 with Drießle setting the pace. The Masters class is open to drivers 40-years old or more and it runs the same rules as the Xray Pro Stock class with the cars running the same hand out Muchmore speedo and motor which this season features an RPM limiter.
View the complete event results here.
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