Janssen takes final qualifier, Stocker on pole
After a difficult day yesterday Rob Janssen bounced back this morning in Andernach to TQ the final round of Pro-Stock qualifying. The Team Corally driver, who is running the new prototype Phi for the first time this weekend, got the event off to a good start by setting the pace in Friday practice but struggled yesterday when qualifying got underway. Needing a good result to assure himself a place in the A Final, the 19-year-old changed to a harder shock setting which transformed the car, allowing him to put in the fastest 5-minute run of the four rounds of heats. The Dutch driver, who took the round from local ace Michael Kiesewetter, will line up fifth on the grid.
Having TQ’d the opening two heats, Alexander Stocker secures pole and the valuable championship point which the Top Qualifier honour carries putting the 2009/10 title beyond the reach of Daniel Wohlgemuth who had a very slight mathematical chance of winning. Running a Yokomo BD5 fitted with a rear gear diff, the last two qualifiers saw Stocker drop off the pace slightly and could only set the 4th fastest time on both occasions. The German said his car, which is being engineered by Martin Hofer, is real smooth to drive but needs to be more aggressive so he can get more speed out of it.
Wohlgemuth, who has one win to his credit this season, will start from second ahead of fellow Xray driver Kiesewetter who knows his home track very well. Completing the German domination of the front end of the grid Tony Streit will carry No.4 on his Hot Bodies but needs a change of luck having failed to finished both Q3 & 4.
Pro Stock A-Main Grid
1. Stocker Alexander (DE) – 310
2. Wohlgemuth Daniel (DE) – 306
3. Kiesewetter Michael (DE) – 306
4. Streit Tony (DE) – 304
5. Janssen Rob (NL) – 303
6. Tschupp Philip (CH) – 303
7. Laptev Ivan (RU) – 302
8. Still Steffen (DE) – 301
9. Klöckner René (DE) – 298
10.Larsen Thomas (DK) – 297
Full results can be found here.
View the event image gallery here and Live video stream here.