Volker fastest from Wilck in 1st timed practice
While the top of the time sheets at the end of the first timed practice at Round 2 of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series looked familiar with Ronald Volker fastest, it was the performances of Viktor Wilck and Elliot Harper that were the main talking point. Having only made the announcement of his departure from long time team Tamiya on Wednesday and then his signing for Serpent the following day, the Swede got his new deal off to a very encouraging start as he set the 2nd fastest time. Having been left without a drive after Durango shelved its factory team, new Schumacher signing Elliot Harper also made a positive start on what is his first international outing for the British manufacturer as he ended the practice 6th quickest.
Running two cars over the 4-minute practice, Volker was pleased with the second of the Yokomos, the first having suffered from understeer. Describing the better BD7 as more comfortable to drive, the German said the tyres on that car also felt to have the better of his two allocated sets of race tyres. With most drivers using the practices, the day opening with a round of free practice, to scrub in their race tyres, he said the set on the first car left him in particular lacking steering in the right hand corners. Expecting the tyres to further improve with more mileage he said for the final practice he would run just one car so as to further scrub in his good set of tyres.
Having only had limited testing with his new S411, Wilck said for only his second proper run with the car it felt really good. With the car’s designer Michael Salven on hand to oversee the debut of his company’s new signing, Wilck unlike most of the front runners is running just one ‘standard’ car. Describing the car as having a little understeer, the former ETS race winner plans to adjust the front bump steer as well as make a change to the rear diff set-up. Having ran two cars in his practice, team-mate Marc Fischer would end up prefering the ‘standard’ car. Running a prototype alu chassis, designed for high bite conditions, on the car he ran first the German said it felt too lose on power. Switching to the second car he said this one felt OK but could be improved by running a lighter diff oil. Using the ‘standard’ car to post the 7th fastest time he will now focus on this car and in addition to the diff change he will also switch from Protoform’s new Dart bodyshell to the LTC-R.
The Top Qualifier and winner of this event last year, Alexander Hagberg would take his Xray to the third fastest time. Openly a fan of the layout, this year’s track just a slightly tweak version of the 2014 track, the Swede said his car felt loose. With the carpet having stayed very consistent throughout last year’s event he said based on that he needs to work improving his set-up rather than wait for traction to come up. Running a Protoform Speed 6 body, referring to his choice as ‘old school’, he will make a roll centre change to his T4 for the final practice run.
Setting the fourth fastest time, Marc Rheinard said he was ‘still trying stuff’. The Tamiya driver, who has Takayuki Kono over from TRF Japan for support, ran two TRF419 with different set-ups and bodyshells with the second car feeling ‘ok’. Having run an LTC-R in free practice on the car he preferred he will now change from the Dart back to the LTC-R as it gives a better feel and greater corner speed.
Describing his practice run as ‘so so’, Yokomo’s Yannic Prumper posted the 5th fastest time. The German, who was runner up to Hagberg here last year, said his DB7 lacked a little in steering. Using a Dart bodyshell he will switch to the LTC-R as well as changing to a thicker rear diff which he said should give him what he is looking for in terms of steering.
‘A positive start’ was Harper’s reaction to his Top 6 pace over 3-consecutive laps. Having ran carbon chassis car in the free practice, the multiple World Championship finalist switched to an alloy chassis for the timed practice which he said felt better with it having more corner speed. Looking for more steering in the hairpins, the British driver having run with a Speed 6 bodyshell will try either a Dart or LTC-R for his next run. Having run both his sets of race tyres he said now that the Ride tyres are broken in they too should help to improve the steering.
Setting the 8th fastest time behind Fischer, Christopher Krapp described his early pace as ‘pretty solid’. His first ETS outing on carpet for quite some time, the factory Kyosho driver unable to attend the Season #8 opener in the Czech Republic, he ran two cars in the timed practice. Using his World Championship car as well as the car of Tim Benson which has a modified rear bulkhead mounting, the German said he preferred his own car. A podium finisher at this race three years ago, having made a change from a 1.4mm to a 1.3mm swaybar he will go back to the thicker one for the last practice run as it gave him more steering. Behind Krapp, Denmark’s Patrick Hornum and Dionys Stadler completed the Top 10.
In the Xray Pro Stock and Formula classes the pace was set by Jan Ratheisky. Fresh from returning from a very successful trip to the Snowbirds in Orlando where he took no less than 3 titles, the Xray driver topped the times in Pro Stock from Mike Gosvig and Valentin Hettrich. Only changing the car’s electrics to the ETS’ handout Muchmore speedo/motor combo and to the championship’s handout Ride tyres, the German said he ran the car exactly the same as he did when he won at the Snowbirds. Very happy with the T4 he will leave it unchanged for his final practice. In Formula he also ran his X1 as it came off the track in Florida. Although he was able to set the fastest time from team-mate Francesco Martini, he said he wasn’t comfortable with the set-up as he had to steer the car using the brakes. Looking to get more mechanical steering the class champion will add more ackermann, reduce the front droop & bump steer as well as buff his tyres, something he said he doesn’t normally like to do.
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