Wilck tops final qualifier for all Tamiya front row
Equipped with a fresh set of tyres ETS Round 3 winner Viktor Wilck topped the third & final qualifier at Apeldoorn in the Netherlands to secure an all Tamiya front row for tomorrow’s finals, the Swede set to line up 2nd beside his team-mate Marc Rheinard who wrapped the overall TQ honours in Q2. Also benefiting from a fresh set of the championship controlled Ride tyres, each driver allowed two sets for qualifying, French driver Loic Jasmin set the second fastest time to secure the last spot on the grid for the Main event.
Setting a time just 3/10ths shy of Rheinard’s fastest TQ run, set in Q2, Wilck said the run was simply down to him having new tyres but added it was very close between him & his team-mate and he was looking forward to a good race with him tomorrow. Running the same Raceberry chassis as Rheinard on his TRF417, the Swede said his car is working well and other than fitting a fresh set of tyres he doesn’t plan on changing anything for the final.
The fastest driver on used tyres in Q3, Rheinard set the third fastest time 3.7-seconds off Wilck but said after the run that his car was ‘actually good’ on the old tyres. Commenting on the final, last year’s event winner who is chasing a third ETS win at the Dutch track, said he expects to be pushed hard by his team-mate who is still riding high after his win at Round 3 in Gran Canaria. Asked about defending champion Ronald Volker, who will start 3rd on the grid, Rheinard feels his fellow German will have to contend with drivers starting behind him who are faster and that should play to his and Wilck’s advantage.
Volker, who was only 8th fastest in Q3, said they tried a number of things but running on used tyres it was hard to compare the full effects of the changes. Admitting to struggling today, he said he was happy to come away with third on the grid which means he still has a chance in the final. Admitting that they still had to find something in the set-up, the European Champion said changes made by his team-mate Yannic Prumper for Q3 improved his car a lot and so for tomorrow they will run something very similar. Prumper, who set the fourth fastest time on used tyres, said fitting a front geardiff to his BD7 made a ‘big difference’ and only 6/10th of his previous time set on new tyres he is very confident about tomorrow when he will start 5th on the grid.
Pulling up late in the third qualifier after a mistake meant he would not improve his grid position, HB’s Andy Moore will start fourth, his best grid position this season. The 2006 World Champion said while the Tamiya team have a clear advantage this weekend, he feels he is very close on pace with Volker and is looking forward to a good race for a place on the podium.
Fifth fastest in the final qualifier, Christopher Krapp was disappointed by his pace saying he expected more from running on fresh tyres but added it was a relief after missing Q1 to make the A-Main. Set to line up 6th on the grid behind Prumper, with whom he had a coming together in Gran Canaria, the factory Kyosho driver said his aim is to just go out and have three good races. With his TF6 sliding around a lot at the start of the run he plans to make a number of set-up changes but added with the weather set to be a lot warmer tomorrow than it has been so far this weekend he needs to account for how that will also effect the track conditions.
Setting the 7th fastest time in Q3, to secure that position on the grid, Marc Fischer’s Serpent means five manufacturers will be represented in final but not Xray. It was a day to forget for the Slovak manufacturer whose best qualifier was Tim Wahl who ended up 12th overall. Team leader Alexander Hagberg could only manage 23rd in Q3, meaning he will line up 4th on the grid for the B-Final, with the Swede saying afterwards it was the ‘fastest (he) could go’ adding that the team is ‘struggling for pace this weekend’. Joining Hagberg in the B-final will be Elliott Harper and the all new Team Durango touring car. 13th fastest in Q1, retiring from Q2 and 19th in the final qualifier, the event was also going to be a tough challenge for a new car especially after the weather meant the driver got just two practice runs before going into qualifying. There was cruel luck for TOP Racing’s Steven Weiss in the last heat as he suffered a spur gear failure while on a Top 3 run which would have put the former European Championship Top Qualifier into the A final.
In the Xray Pro Stock class, defending champion Zdenko Kunak claimed his first overall TQ honours in 8 races. The Yokomo team driver said at the start of the weekend his BD7 was ‘Super Shit’ but every run they were able to get it better and better and now he is really happy with how the car is working. Asked about the final the Slovak ace said with Pro Stock the final is always going to be very close especially on such a large track. Starting behind Kunak will be Schumacher’s Martin Hofer, the driver whom he took over the title last year, with last year’s winner Vasco Christiaanse putting his Kyosho on the second row of the grid where he will be joined by the Awesomatix of Dominic Vogl. Making a very welcome return to the ETS after a long absence, 2 time Champion Alexander Stocker will start 5th on the grid and will be one to watch tomorrow. Unfortunately for current championship leader Marek Cerny Q3 saw another DNF for the Xray driver and despite TQ’ing yesterday’s opening qualifier the Czech driver’s run of wins is over and he will not play a part in tomorrow’s main event.
In the Speed Passion Formula class Top Racing’s Roman Pichler completed a clean sweep topping all three qualifiers to secure pole position ahead of Dutchman Michael Lepelaar and class debutant Stocker.
Interested by the class yesterday which he saw for the first time yesterday the German got hold of a Yokomo kit which was build up last night and he was given an entry bringing the field to 37 cars. Having missed the first qualifier, he duly set 4th fastest times in Q2 & 3 to qualify just in front of defending champion Herbert Weber who starts 4th.
Ride Modified Q3 times
1. Viktor Wilck – Tamiya – 20/5:05.569
2. Loic Jasmin – Yokomo – 20/5:08.347
3. Marc Rheinard – Tamiya – 20/5:09.242
4. Yannic Prumper – Yokomo – 20/5:10.525
5. Christopher Krapp – Kyosho – 20/5:10.853
6. Thomas Pumpler – Tamiya – 20/5:11.000
7. Marc Fischer – Serpent – 20/5:11.242
8. Ronald Volker – Yokomo – 20/5:12.243
9. David Ehrbar – Serpent – 20/5:12.408
10.Oliver Bultynck – VBC – 20/5:13.296
Ride Modified A-Main Grid
1. Marc Rheinard (DE) – Tamiya – 310 pts
2. Viktor Wilck (SE) – Tamiya – 308
3. Ronald Volker (DE) – Yokomo – 305
4. Andy Moore (GB) – HB – 303
5. Yannic Prumper (DE) – Yokomo – 302
6. Christopher Krapp (DE) – Kyosho – 300
7. Marc Fischer (DE) – Serpent – 297
8. Eric Dankel (DE) – Yokomo – 296
9. Thomas Pumpler (DE) – Tamiya – 294
10.Loic Jasmin (FR) – Yokomo – 292
Xray Pro Stock A-Main Grid
1. Zdenko Kunak (SK) – Yokomo – 310 pts
2. Martin Hofer (DE) – Schumacher – 306
3. Vasco Christiaanse (NL) – Kyosho – 304
4. Dominic Vogl (AT) – Awesomatix – 303
5. Alexander Stocker (DE) – Xray – 300
6. Philip Tschupp (CH) – Top Racing – 300
7. Valetin Hettrich (DE) – Xray – 298
8. John Bruins (NZ) – Kyosho – 297
9. Oliver Bultynck (BE) – VBC – 296
10.Tobias Vogel (DE) – Xray – 294
View the full event results here.
View the complete event image gallery here.
