Young Pruemper beats masters in first A Main
A pre race drama when his car needed a sensor cable change just as the first A-Main went to grid and the close attention of the only two time Touring Car World Champion didn’t phase young Yannic Pruemper as he converted his first international TQ into victory in A-Main No.1.
Having secured pole for the third round of the 2008/2009 Euro Touring Series here in Warsaw, the 15-year-old Tamiya driver took the pressure of Marc Rheinard, defending ETS Champion Jilles Groskamp and former World Champion Andy Moore in his stride. In the early part of the race it was Groskamp who pushed the promising young German but the Dutch ace rolled allowing Rheinard to mount the challenge on the driver who is the protege of his brother Toni Rheinard. Behind Moore held third from the recovering Groskamp.
Rheinard pushed Pruemper right to the finish and afterwards one of the sport’s greatest drivers was very complimentary of his fellow country man. ‘Yannic was very impressive. He was under a lot of pressure and didn’t make any mistakes.’
Pruemper was clearly delighted with his performance as was his mentor Toni Rheinard. The former top flight international racer said, ‘Yannic did a fantastic job. He had super pressure starting from his first TQ but then to keep it all together when Jilles and Marc were on his bumper was amazing.’
Making it an all Tamiya podium Groskamp managed to repass Moore for third after the British driver made a mistake at the chicane. The Xray pairing of Teemu Leino and Paul Lemieux, who started ninth, completed the top 6.
In Pro Stock it was Top Qualifier Meik Niemann who took the win but the SMI Motorsport/Xray driver was pushed hard by Daniel Wohlgemuth who posted the fastest lap of the race with his Tamiya. Both drivers made mistakes during the run but Niemann crossed the line first by just 7/10th of a second. Making a completely German Top 3 Oliver Nathe took his Tamiya to third just in front of the top Hungarian racer Balint Rajki.
View our image gallery here.
