Video – Formula A-main Leg 2
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FFE8NuXAOo[/youtube]
Video – Mod & Pro Stock A-main Leg 1
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0unfP3hF3Ec[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEOEE767bPw[/youtube]
Video – Qualifying Action Rd3
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez5GXx_yJso[/youtube]
Prumper TQs opening qualifier at ETS finale
Yannic Prumper produced a blistering opening qualifier at the season finale of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series in Austria to top Q1 by a massive four seconds over the HB of Andy Moore with defending champion Ronald Volker the only other driver to manage 21 laps of the Traiskirchen track to record the third fastest time. Changing to a heavier shock oil in his Thunder Power equipped BD5 for the first of the four qualifiers, the young German was clearly delighted with how the car handled in the cooler conditions. Finding it a little difficult over the first 2-minutes of the 5-minute run from then on it was very easy to drive and had ‘minimum traction roll’. Impressing onlookers with the authority he stamped on Q1 over the World class field, Prumper said afterwards with the car working so well he has no plans to make any changes ahead of tomorrow morning’s Q2.
Describing Prümper as being in a different league, former World Champion Moore was pleased with second saying he just focused on driving safe and for that approach his Hobbywing powered TCX felt pretty good. With a good points hall from the round the British Champion said he can push harder in his next run but said in order to do this he will need to improve his set-up. While new team-mate Shin Adachi took 8th in the round, Atsushi Hara pulled up after he traction rolled on his fourth lap. One of the greats of the sport, Hara admitted he was trying a little too hard but having had no problems at that section of the track in practice said he was surprised to roll there. With practically new tyres for Q2 Hara is hoping he can register a good run in the morning but he was not the only one to pull up after early mistakes, both Tamiya’s Viktor Wilck and Yokomo’s Hayato Matsuzaki also having the advance of better tyres for Q2.
Having found his LRP powered BD5 difficult to drive from the start Volker said he reverted to going for a clean run which paid dividends as he took third and was fastest of the four title contenders. Losing some time having to let team-mate Prumper through, the only double race winner of the season said they have no choice for tomorrow but to try a different set-up as he struggled in the infield with understeer.
Just missing out on a 21-lap run, factory Xray driver Alexander Hagberg was content with his run to fourth as he always knew he would be at a disadvantage on new tyres. With his ORCA powered T3 stronger on used tyres the Swede hopes this will allow him to capitalise tomorrow when all drivers are on worn rubber. Team-mate and fellow countryman, Magnus Vassmar said his car was much better than it had been in practice but added there is still room for improvement. One of the stars of qualifying at the Polish ETS encounter where he TQ’d a round, he set the sixth fastest time just behind Marc Rheinard and ahead of Kyosho’s title hopeful Christopher Krapp.
Rheinard, who currently leads the points standing thanks to his TQ & win at the previous race, said his car was not nice to drive resulting in him flipping the Speed Passion powered TRF417. Having set the pace in practice, the World Champion who will go for a unprecedented three world titles in a row later this month, said he found the track for Q1 a lot more grippy but expecting the track to be warmer for Q2 doesn’t plan any set-up changes as he was pretty happy with his car in such conditions early today.
In the Xray Pro-Stock class Austrian driver Philipp Neudinger drove the best 5-minutes of his life only to have the time disallowed for his ratio being below the allowed 4.50 for the control Speed Passion speedo and motor class. Driving an Awesomatix, Neudinger followed the gearing ratios contained in the manual of the unique Russian designed car but when manually calculated at post race tech inspection it was discovered those figures in the manual had been rounded up and he was infact running 4.979. Although he believed Neudinger had not intentionally tried to break the minimum 4.50 ratio rule, race director said Scotty Ernst said the rule was was in place in the super close class and he had no choice but to disallow the time. This gave Xray driver Tony Streit the TQ for the round. Having struggled in practice the German found his car was tweaked but having time to complete a full rebuild before qualifying he said the car is now very competitive and he is very confident for the remaining three rounds of heats.
Championship leader Zdenko Kunak had a terrible opening heat, the factory Xray driver struggling on new tyres and managed only the 25th fastest time. Also competing in Modified where he posted the ninth fastest time, the talented Slovak racer said he has a good set-up for used tyres and he should be OK for tomorrow’s qualifiers. Title rival Olver Franke also had poor opening heat managing only the 7th fastest time after rolling his HB.
In the Speed Passion Formula class San Marino driver Andrea Selva set the pace ahead of Simone Leonardi and promising young Polish racer Bartlomiej Zambrzycki.
Ride Modified Q1 Top 10 times
1. Yannic Prümper (DE) – Yokmo/Thunder Power – 21/5:10.158
2. Andy Moore (GB) – HB/Hobbywing – 21/5:14.216
3. Ronald Völker (DE) – Yokomo/LRP – 21/5:14.668
4. Alexander Hagberg (SE) – Xray/ORCA – 20/5:00.130
5. Marc Rheinard (DE) – Tamiya/Speed Passion – 20/5:00.990
6. Magnus Vässmar (SE) – Xray/Thunder Power – 20/5:03.811
7. Christopher Krapp (DE) – Kyosho/Orion – 20/5:05.169
8 Shin Adachi (JP) – HB/Reedy – 20/5:05.470
9. Zdenko Kunak (SK) – Xray/LRP – 20/5:05.615
10.Martin Hudy (SK) – Hudy/LRP – 20/5:06.431
Xray Pro-Stock Q1 Top 10 times
1. Tony Streit (DE) – Xray – 19/5:10.456
2. Bernhard Bopp (DE) – HB – 19/5:11.756
3. Dominic Vogl (AT) – Awesomatix – 19/5:11.845
4. Morten Iversen (DK) – Awesomatix – 19 5:13.488
5. Martin Hofer (DE) – Schumacher – 19/5:14.001
6. Martin Wilfinger (AT) – Serpent – 19/5:15.003
7. Oliver Franke (DE) – HB – 19/5:15.186
8. Marek Cerny (CZ) – Yokomo – 18/5:00.194
9. Radek Flek (CZ) – Yokomo – 18/5:00.381
10.Felix Wiessmann (DE) – Yokomo – 18/5:01.093
View our event gallery here.
Four manufacturers chase ETS title at season finale in Austria
The stage is set for the most exciting title battle in the history of the ETS with four drivers representing four different manufacturers in with a chance of becoming the 2011/12 Yokomo Euro Touring Series Champions at this weekend’s (6-8th July) season finale in Traiskirchen, Austria. Having enjoyed it’s most successful season to-date with close on 700 drivers set to register points in the World famous electric touring car series, the fifth running of the championship has also produced its most competitive year of racing with four different drivers taking to the top step of the podium in the premiere Ride Modified class. Kyosho’s Christopher Krapp and Xray’s Alexander Hagberg both claimed their first ever ETS wins putting them in the position of going head to head with Team Yokomo’s defending Champion Ronald Volker and Tamiya’s former Champion Marc Rheinard for the prestigious title at the sixth & final round.
A new addition to the ETS calendar, Traiskirchen is the perfect venue for such an exciting climax to the season with the roof covered asphalt track ensuring that the current unsettled European weather can play no part in deciding whether the elusive ETS Modified Champions roll of honour remains at just three names (Jilles Groskamp, Rheinard & Volker) or gets the addition of a fourth worthy Champion. The Top 4 in the standings are seperated by just 7-points with a maximum of 156 points up for grabs so its very much still all to play for and as was witnessed at the preceeding round in Apeldoorn, where Rheinard rescued his campaign by taking the TQ and win, anything can happen in racing with Volker and Hagberg both failing to make the A-Main at the Dutch event.
While the focus of the weekend will be on the title battle, there will be a number of drivers among the World Class entry of over 200 racers who with no championship to worry about will be looking to make their own mark, this being the last major international touring car race before the World Championships that take place in the Netherlands at the end of the month. Having finished sixth at Round 5, his first ETS outing this season, former World Champion & ETS race winner Atsushi Hara will be hoping for a more competitive outing in Austria as will Team HB team-mates Andy Moore and Shin Adachi.
Having topped a round of qualifying to line up third on the grid in Apeldoorn, Serpent’s Marc Fisher will be looking to build on that performance this weekend and bring home some silverware for his small team. Also looking to convert his unquestionable raw talent in to a victory will be Volker’s Yokomo team-mate Yannic Prumper. Prumper finished runner up to Rheinard at Traiskirchen last year when it hosted the European Championships and the young German must be close to ending his 3-year victory drought.
In the Xray Pro Stock class, which has also produced four different winners this season, the title will too be decided in Austria in a duel between Xray’s Zdenko Kunák and Team HB driver Oliver Franke. A new addition to the ETS this year the Formula class, for 1:10 2WD Formula 1 cars which like Pro Stock use a controlled Speed Passion speedo/motor combo, is wide open with no less than five drivers in with a chance of becoming the inaugural champion.
While those in contention for a title will be holding off on any celebrations until Sunday evening, for the rest of the competitors they will be able to celebrate the successful conclusion of Season No.5 of Uwe Rheinard and Scotty Ernst’s Euro Touring Series with the now traditional end of season party planned for Saturday night at the track. With the organisation of the Traiskirchen ETS encounter being headed up by top Austrian touring car racer Thomas Pumpler with help from former European Electric Offroad Champion Peter Pinsch, the weekend is sure to be of a very high standard something that racers have now come to expect from ETS events.
Round 6 of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series will be covered live throughout the weekend on Red RC where you can follow how the title battle unfolds over the three day event.
Video – Mod & Pro Stock A-main Leg 2
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfAgw-6aZXA[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuYv7Q02UZ4[/youtube]
Video – Mod & Pro Stock A-main Leg 1
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2nHkhxizbs[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4paBoB5ph30[/youtube]
Video – Qualifying Rd2 action
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk7syQ727Xc[/youtube]
