Rheinard wins Controversial A2
Marc Rheinard has won a controversial second A-Main at the Yokomo Euro Touring Series in Luxembourg, the race determined by two key incidents the first of which means we will see the crowning of a new ETS champion for Season #9. A better first lap than A1, it was the second lap when the race would be turned on its head. With Top Qualifier Ronald Volker leading from Jilles Groskamp, as the pack exited the Laguna Seca section for a second time the reigning champion would get hit by Groskamp sending the Yokomo driver back to last as the Dutch continued as the new leader. Moments later the second incident would see Bruno Coelho attempt a pass on Rheinard, but there would be contact with the championship leader’s Xray flying off the track. No penalties called for either incident, Groskamp would lead from Rheinard before a spin from the Infinity driver allowed the Tamiya driver into a lead he would hold to the finish. With Coelho and Volker finishing 6th and 10th respectively it would be Xray’s Alexander Hagberg who would benefit most to finish 3rd behind Groskamp.
‘It was side by side in my opinion’, was Rheinard’s reaction to his incident with Coelho. Having got caught up in Volker’s first lap spin in A1, he continued, ‘It was a pretty ok start for all of us until Jilles & Ronald touched which gave me second coming onto the straight. Then Bruno tried to pass me on the inside at the end of the straight. I kept my line and we touched and for me it wasn’t my fault’. Taking the lead on the next lap after Groskamp spun his Xray he said once his former team-mate spun again having caught him back up ‘it was easy to the end’.
‘I feel bad about the second final, I’m not sure what exactly happened’, said Groskamp afterwards. Trying to explain the incident with Volker he said, ‘He took a different line, IÂ didn’t even take the opportunity to pass. It was a racing incident but I am angry with myself for what happened and I’m really sorry to Ronald’. Commenting the rest of the race, the former World Champion said, ‘I didn’t want to win the race after what happened, I drove pretty bad afterwards’. He continued, ‘I want the race to be decided fair & square in the third final’.
Visibly upset by the incident, Volker said, ‘This decided the championship, I’m out’. Having been chasing a sixth consecutive ETS Modified title, he continued, ‘after the trouble in A1 with tyres of course I didn’t drive 110% on the first lap but I felt my car was good to win but Jilles didn’t let me’. He added, ‘The line I drove is always the one I drive and he took me out badly from behind. Jilles is know for good sportsmanship so I feel very disappointed by this and the fact he yelled at me that it was my fault. It also frustrates me no stop & go was given. When it’s side by side I understand it’s difficult but this wasn’t even close to having any doubts over it’. Volker concluded, ‘it was definitely a tyre issue in A1 as my car felt great and my fastest lap proves this incident cost me the chance for the championship’.
Asked for his view of the race Coelho replied, ‘It easy to explain. I was taken out by Rheinard’. He continued, ‘We were fighting for 3rd and I was overtaking him in the inside. He had the curb on the right side but decided to turn left, maybe he had radio problems’. The Portuguese driver added, ‘the crash was so big I ended up in the middle of the straight and my race was done’.
Having had a massive off at the end of the straight in A1 that ‘completely destroyed’ his car when a rear tyre came unglued, Hagberg was happy to finish third. Having to rebuild his car, the factory Xray driver said, ‘it felt weird’ in A2 adding he was ‘not 100% sure it’s fixed but I was still able to defend my position’. The European Champion added ‘I benefited from the drama up front and maybe I can do the same in the next one and finish up front’. Behind the Swede, Freddy Südhoff would again finish 4th. Having missed A1 due to work, local star Lucas Urbain would complete the Top 5 with his VBC from 7th on the grid.
In Pro Stock and Formula, there would be no dramas for the A1 winners as they repeated their earlier successes to sew up early the overall wins in Luxembourg. In the Xray supported touring car class Lars Hoppe claimed his first ETS win of the season with a perfect race from the TQ. David Ehrbar would do the same thing in the Serpent Formula class to also claim his first win of the season becoming only the second winner of Season #9, newly crowned & absent champion Jan Ratheisky having won the previous four encounters.
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