Coelho wins opening A-Main at ETS Netherlands
Bruno Coelho took a tone to tone win in a hot opening A-Main at ETS Netherlands but the Xray driver was shadowed throughout the race by Freddy Sudhoff. While the Top Qualifier looked in full control of proceedings early on, Sudhoff would come back at him reducing the gap to 5/10ths of a second which is how it remained to the finish. Behind, having put pressure on Sudhoff for the opening minute, Christopher Krapp would finish as he started with third place but dropping back 1.3-seconds behind. Krapp’s team-mate Ronald Volker would be highest finisher to make a pass during the race as he, to the cheer of onlookers, found a way around the outside of fourth place qualifier Alexander Hagberg.
Summing up A1, Coelho said, ‘It was a tough final. Freddy didn’t give me space to breath. The gap was 5/10ths all the final. I was not able to pull away and he was not able to catch me’. A very hot day at the Apeldoorn track but expected to be cooler tomorrow, the Portuguese driver who is looking to make it back to back Dutch ETS wins said, ‘The track was better now than the last qualifier but the last A-Main is going to be at a similar time to when it was hottest so again it is going to difficult racing conditions tomorrow’.
‘It was a close one’, was Sudhoff’s reaction to the opening final. The Awesomatix driver explained, ‘at the beginning Bruno pulled away slightly because I was trying to save my tyres but after 2-minutes I pushed 105%. For sure it was a little cooler and easier for the car but I just could find that last bit to catch him’. Looking to tomorrow, the ETS Spain winner said, ‘I think from that race we lose a light on the right side of the track so we might change something for that but I need to check the conditions in the morning’.
Commenting on his third place, Krapp said, ‘I am happy with the car, it was a solid run but pretty I’d say’. The Yokomo driver added, ‘the first minute I was really quick and challenging Freddy but then he found 6th or 7th gear and pulled away. I couldn’t do anything’. Asked about the possibility of a podium tomorrow, the German replied, ‘I want more but a podium is the first aim. I’m not sure what the weather is but we will adjust the car for it. I hope Freddy attacks Bruno’.
In Pro Stock it was also a win for the Top Qualifier as Olivier Bultynck took a controlled win over Frederik Mikkelsen and Dominic Vogl, the Top 3 finishing as they started. Qualifying down in 7th, championship points leader Simon Lauter worked his way up to 4th by the finish. Lauter would make light work of the Formula A-Main taking the win from the TQ some 8/10ths up on David Ehrbar, the Top 5 finishing as the started. 40+ Master and 17.5 Stock were also won by the Top Qualifiers with Toni Mateo having the biggest win of the day with three and a half seconds to spare over Beni Stutz while the new Stock class went to Marwin Riedelbauch who initial lost his lead to Daniel Pöhlmann who ended up third behind Tobias Baumbach.
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