Champion Groskamp returns for Dutch ETS encounter
The Xenon Racing backed Euro Touring Series moves outdoors this weekend (May 21-23) as it travels to the Netherlands where Jilles Groskamp makes a welcome return to the series that he has been champion of since its inception three years ago. Having moved to Thailand last year, the reigning European Champion has been unable to defend his ETS title this season but with the MACH still very much his home track the Tamiya Racing Factory driver will be hard to beat at the fifth round of the 2009/2010 Series.
Groskamp has dominated proceedings on the last two ETS visits made to his home country and will be keen to repeat that this weekend as he starts his preparations for the World Championships which will take place in Germany in just over a months time. Groskamp is one of a number of international Touring Car stars using the ETS’ first outdoor race of the year to get valuable competitive mileage under them ahead of the Worlds Warm-up race that takes place next weekend in Burgdorf.
Also making the trip over from Asia to Holland is former World Touring Car Champion and current 1:8 Off Road World Champion Atsushi Hara. The Japanese ace is a previous ETS race winner and will be keen to add another victory as he makes his European debut with Hot Bodies new TCX chassis. The first international asphalt race of the year, this weekend will give both Hara and HB team-mate Andy Moore a chance to gauge the new car against the factory squad of current World Champions Tamiya.
Tamiya have taken victory at all four rounds thus far with current World Champion Marc Rheinard leading the standings by 5 points from Viktor Wilck, who won the opening race at Kastellaun, and they will be keen to maintain the team’s 100% winning record this weekend. Others who should be in the mix in the premiere class at the MACH include Corally team leader Marc Fisher, European Junior Champion Yannic Prümper, Danish European finalist Steen Graversen and emerging Slovak talent Zdenko Kunák, who heads the Xray challenge.
For the biggest class of the ETS, Round 5 marks a major change in Pro Stock as the organisers introduce, with the help of series sponsor Speed Passion, a controlled speedo to try and create a more level playing field for racers. With all drivers being equipped with the same Cirtix Stock Club Race speedo and Competition 3.0 13.5 turn motor there will be a far greater emphasis on driver ability this weekend. Predicting a winner among the 101 entries is difficult but one can expect Czech ETS race winner Daniel Wohlgemuth, last year’s Dutch ETS winner Rob Janssen, Russian Ivan Laptev, Zdenko Kunák and local ace Vasco Christiaanse, who TQ’d on the last visit to the MACH, to be at the top end of the time sheets.
In the Hobby class the driver to beat is promising Polish youngster Michal Orlowski who leads the standings from Eric Mulder but this is Mulder’s home track and he will be determined to take his first win of the season here. One interesting entry in the class is Frank Groskamp, father of Jilles, and with such a good driver coach he could spring a few surprises on the more established runners.
Round five of the Xenon Racing Euro Touring Series gets underway with practice on Friday and the event can be followed live throughout the weekend on RedRC.net who will be in Heemstede to report on all the action.
