Another TQ run from Wilck at the MACH
Viktor Wilck produced another TQ run in the penultimate qualifier here in the Netherlands at the fifth round of the 2009/2010 Euro Touring Series moving a step closer to claiming pole for tomorrow’s finals. The Tamiya team driver took the round by 2/10th of a second from Hot Bodies’ Atsushi Hara with local ace Bart Wubben getting it together to complete the top 3 at the controls of his Xray T3.
Topping the run with a time that is some 12 seconds off the fastest qualifier set by team-mate Marc Rheinard yesterday, Wilck said his car is starting to feel really loose now due to the tyre wear. Drivers have two sets of tyres at their disposal but the front runners are saving them for the finals.
‘Getting better’ was Hara’s response to his run to the second fastest time. The former World Champion says his TCX is much better balanced now but the changes have resulted in reduced traction. Planning small changes to try combat this, the Japanese driver has his sights firmly on demoting Jilles Groskamp to fourth on the grid by TQ’ing the fifth & final qualifier.
Bart Wubben has had a limited race program this year but the local driver and former Dutch National Champion knows this track well and following diff problems in his Xray has jumped right into contention. Having fitted an old diff for the fourth qualifier he said the car finally felt like it had 4 wheel drive again. Setting a competitive third fastest time Wubben, who is running in the second fastest group, said he wished he had only pushed a little harder!
Andy Moore finally got a clean run together stopping the clocks in the fourth fastest time. Running a completely different set-up to Hara, the Englishman is using a different front shock tower on his TCX which allows him to run a longer shock. This made the car turn in better and gave it an overall better balance.
Marc Rheinard had his worst round of qualifying failing to record a Top 3 time for the first time. The German said he is really struggling on old tyres with the car very loose to drive. Interestingly the World Champion tried double link front drive shafts but said they made no noticeable difference and he will revert back to Tamiya’s standard kit drive shafts.
Recording his first 19 lap run and breaking into the Top 6 for the first time was top French touring car driver Cyril N’diaye. Running an LRP powered Tamiya he was pleased to feature near the front but said while the run was good, bad traffic had cost him time.
Elsewhere Yannic Prumper saw a possible TQ run get away from him when his Tamiya spun out with one minute to go and then again on the last lap due to a diff problem. Clearly frustrated by his lack of straight line speed Jilles Groskamp had an off on lap 5 and after rejoining decided to pull up four laps later.
In Pro Stock Vasco Christiaanse was again fastest and it will be hard to see anyone denying the Dutch team Kyosho driver pole for tomorrow’s finals. Rob Janssen’s Corally was second fastest but last year’s Dutch winner really needs to find something special if he is to challenge his fellow countryman. Czech ETS race winner Daniel Wohlgemuth, who is racing a Yokomo this weekend which is actually Martin Hofer’s spare car, was on a good run but made a mistake that cost him four seconds. Currently 11th in the qualification ranking the German is under pressure to pull something out of the bag in the final heat if he wants to be on the grid for the all important A-Mains.
Full results can be found here.
View the event image gallery here.
