Volker pulls off the perfect start to ETS Season #7
Defending Yokomo Euro Touring Series Champion Ronald Volker pulled off the best start possible to Season #7, the Yokomo driver taking the overall win with another faultless win in Leg 2 of the A-Main in the Czech Republic. Chasing a fourth consecutive title in the World famous championship this season, the win is the German’s ninth ETS career win and the fourth year that he has won the season opener. Having won Leg 1 from Marc Rheinard, he again headed home the Tamiya driver in Leg 2 with Yannic Prumper completing the Top 3.
Having topped every element of the weekend, heading both free & timed practice and then all four rounds of qualifying, Volker said they achieved the goal they had set themselves coming into the weekend. Describing qualifying as being particularly tough here in Hrotovice with Alexander Hagberg and Freddy Sudhoff both pushing him hard, he said while from the outside taking the win might have looked easy it took a lot of hard work. Thanking Yukijiro Umino for his continued support and car preparation, he said they did a lot of preparations for the race such as attending the MIBO Cup and this paid off. Asked about his Leg 2 race, Volker said he pushed really hard at the start and again he was helped by problems for drivers behind. With a gap of over 2-seconds he reverted to taking a more cautious approach to the faster corners. While this was a slower way round the track knowing it would lose him time he said that with no mistakes the gap was too big for Rheinard to close down by the finish.
Rheinard who based on his recent performance here at the MIBO Cup would be more than happy to leave the Czech Republic with a second place, said his TRF418 was really good but again the gap to Volker after the start was just too much to close. Congratulating his great rival on what he said was a ‘well deserved win’ he said the weekend turned out more positive then expected and he is looking forward to be a lot stronger for Round 2 of the ETS in Germany in January. With two second place finishes to his credit and both Hagberg & Sudhoff having another bad race in A2, the 3-time World Champion looks best positioned to take the second step on the podium at the trophy presentations.
Having run 2nd for the opening four laps a mistake from Hagberg left him to finish 8th while Sudhoff who made a ‘fair’ pass on the Swede to move up to second on lap 5 caught a corner dot four laps later at the end of the straight and flipped his Awesomatix. After that a coming together with Xray’s Marco Kaufmann left ‘Fast Freddy’, him setting the fastest lap of the race, to finish 9th. Holding third Yokomo’s Naoto Matsukura would retire from the race on lap 17 with a broken rear drive shaft.
In the Xray Pro Stock class the winner will be decided in the third A-Main after Schumacher’s Martin Hofer took the win. Top Qualifier Jan Amser lead the way for over half the race but on 17 lap of 23, the former Champion forced his way to the front with an impressive pass. For Leg 1 winner Marek Cerny his challenge came undone on lap 11. Applying huge pressure on Amser’s Serpent, the Xray driver would roll his Xray in front of the drivers rostrum leaving him to finish 5th. In the Formula class, the third A-Main will also decide who leaves the Czech Republic as the new championship leader. Roman Pichler took his TOP Racing chassis to the win over the VBC of Olivier Bultynck with Leg 1 winner Thomas Pumpler bringing his Speed Passion F1 home third. Top Qualifier Asmer didn’t have a good race ending up 4th after some early mistakes. Like Pro Stock, four drivers go into the final race with a chance of the overall win.
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