Hara TQ’s opening qualifier at Andernach
Atsushi Hara has TQ’d the opening qualifier at the sixth & final round of the 2009/10 Xenon Racing backed Euro Touring Series. Reverting to the set-up he ran this morning, the Japanese ace topped the time sheets in Andernach ahead of World Champion Marc Rheinard and his own Hot Bodies team-mate Andy Moore. Having to pass both Rheinard and Moore during the run, the 2008 Andernach Top Qualifier & race winner finished over 1.7 seconds faster than the German despite an overshot on the penultimate lap after he out braked himself in front of the drivers’ rostrum. Hara described the set-up on his TCX as ‘traditional Cyclone’ and plans to leave it the same for Q2 tomorrow morning.
Rheinard said his Tamiya didn’t start off well and this was compounded by him driving badly too. Passed by Moore who started just behind him, his TRF416 did get better in the second half of the run and he re-passed the British driver who suffered the opposite problem. The former World Champion said his TCX was really good at the beginning of the heat but after 2 and half minutes it developed huge understeer. After, Moore found his front right tyre had strangely de-laminated which wouldn’t have helped but he believes his set-up needs more work to stop the car from creating too much rear traction in the second half of the heat.
Yannick Prumper was fastest of the Yokomo team in fourth but he felt his BD5 was capable of more. ‘The car was good but I was too slow’ was how the the German teenager summed up his opening qualifier and he plans a much more attacking approach for tomorrow. Behind Prumper with the fifth fastest time was team-mate Ronald Volker. Going back to a standard ball diff for Q1, Volker said he was more confident in the corners but the car had developed a little understeer since the switch. The German felt his driving wasn’t good with him making too many small mistakes losing him time.
Completing the Top 6, Viktor Wilck’s Tamiya was very loose at the start of the run and he lost over a second to his rivals in the first lap alone. The laid back Swede said afterwards he didnt know why his Speed Passion powered TRF416 was such a hand full at the start because on the next lap he recorded his fastest lap of the run which was identical to that set by Moore.
Driving a Tamiya Thomas Pumpler was seventh fastest ahead of Kyosho’s Christopher Krapp, Ryan Maker and Zdenek Hamak. Running gear diffs in the front and rear of his Yokomo BD5, Maker was on a fast run until just after the four minute mark when he rolled losing him over 2.5 seconds and the chance of recording 17 lap. The Australian said the roll was totally his own doing as the car, the only one here fitted with two gear diffs, feels great.
Qualifying Round 1 times
1. Atsushi Hara (JP) – 17 Laps in 5:12.217
2. Marc Rheinard (DE) – 17 Laps in 5:13.955
3. Andy Moore (GB) – 17 Laps in 5:14.977
4. Yannic Pruemper (DE) – 17 Laps in 5:15.287
5. Ronald Volker (DE) – 17 Laps in 5:15.392
6. Viktor Wilck (SE) – 17 Laps in 5:15.466
7. Thomas Pumpler (A) – 17 Laps in 5:16.589
8. Christopher Krapp (DE) – 17 Laps in 5:18.504
9. Ryan Maker (AUS) – 16 Laps in 5:02.318
10.Zdenek Hamak (CZ) – 16 Laps in 5:03.414
Qualifying continues here in Germany in the morning, starting off with the first round of heats for the Pro Stock class.
View the event image gallery here.
