Euro Touring Series » Announcement

August 27, 2015

Peter Wiesmueller in memoriam

Peter Wiesmueller - 1968 - 2015

Sad news reached the ETS family only days ago as we have to mourn the death of Peter Wiesmueller from Austria. Fighting against cancer for three years Peter passed away last Friday the 21st of August. A passionate cart racer in the 1990’s Peter also loved to go model flying until he made a step into RC car racing some three years ago by being part of the RCR Linz club. Together with his friends Hannes Zuckerstätter and Markus Wurmhöriger he was the driving force behind the growing Formula scene in Austria. He was a perfectionist both on the track and while running his own business “Designerzeit”. Our condolences go to the Wiesmueller family, especially his mother, his daughter and his partner. The ETS family lost a valuable member. We will keep you in good memory, Peter.

Eine schreckliche Nachricht erreichte uns vor ein paar Tagen aus Österreich: Unser ETS Familienmitglied Peter Wiesmueller ist nach langem Kampf seinem Krebsleiden erlegen. Den Krebs hat Peter drei Jahre lang versucht zu bekämpfen, doch letztendlich versagten dann Freitag, 21. August, alle Organe. Peter war ein leidenschaftlicher Cart-Fahrer in den 90er Jahren. Jahrelang in Sachen Modellfug mit dem Sender in der Hand unterwegs, fand er vor etwas mehr als 3 Jahren den Weg zum RCR Linz und somit zum RC Car Fahren. Mit seinen Freunden Hannes Zuckerstätter und Markus Wurmhöriger baute er maßgeblich die Klasse Formel in Österreich mit auf. Als Perfektionist arbeitete und entwickelte er immer weiter an den Formelautos. Seine Kreativität spiegelte sich auch in seinem Unternehmen „Designerzeit“ jederzeit wieder. Unser aller Mitgefühl gilt seiner Familie, hier besonders seiner Mutter, Tochter und Lebensgefährtin. Die ETS Familie verliert ein wichtiges Mitglied. Wir alle werden dich in guter Erinnerung halten, Peter.

June 25, 2015

ETS #8 concludes with record entry

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The Yokomo Euro Touring Series concludes its 8th season this weekend (June 26-28) at the World famous Hudy Racing Arena in Slovakia with the sixth & final round highlighting the championship’s continued world wide appeal. Attracting a record 365 entries, the season finale will also mark a new record for the number of nations represented with the flags of 36 different countries set to hang at the 45th running of an ETS race weekend. On the track the main focus come Sunday will be on crowning champions with both the Ride Modified and the Xray Pro Stock titles still to be decided.

A championship widely regarded now as one of the most prestigious titles the sport has to offer, defending champion Ronald Volker is close to extending his reign over the ETS to a fifth season however as seen at Round 5 in Luxembourg nothing can be taken for granted. Expected to sow the title up there, the Yokomo driver ended up not even making the podium handing his long time arch rival Marc Rheinard an outside chance of capturing back the title he last held in 2010. Last year the Hudy Racing Arena proved a successful hunting ground for Tamiya with Rheinard heading a TRF 1-2 with Volker third.

A season that has produced four different race winners, Volker, Rheinard, Prumper and Coelho, one driver looking to add his name to that list will be former 2-time champion Jilles Groskamp. Moving from Tamiya to HB/HPI Racing this season, the 2012 World Champion came so close to winning in Luxembourg and backing that up with a Euro Nitro Series 1-2 behind team-mate Teemu Leino in Austria, it is clear the Dutchman is revelling in his new surroundings. Knowing the speed is now there, Groskamp’s confidence has never been higher. Joining HB’s regular ETS squad of Groskamp, Andy Moore and Freddy Sudhoff for his first outing of this season will be JJ Wang. The Shanghai driver will be one to watch after displaying some impressive race craft at this year’s Reedy Race of Champions that grab the attention and respect of a number of touring car’s establishment.

The driver who has injected a new lease of interest into the world of electric touring car racing, Bruno Coelho proved last time out that he is the real deal by claiming his first ETS win. With this weekend the home race of his Xray team, the factory where the T4 is produced overlooking the track, the Portuguese star will be hoping to carry the momentum of Round 5 and give the Hudy family cause for great celebration. Team-mate Alexander Hagberg, one of the seven world champions competing this weekend, qualified P2 in Luxembourg and won A3 would like nothing better than to end his campaign with a win having occupied the other two podium positions this season.

Elsewhere, having finished second in Slovakia 12-months ago Viktor Wilck would like to conclude his first ETS season with Serpent with a strong showing. The 2-time race winner, both with Tamiya, has shown flashes of speed with his new team and maybe this weekend he and team-mate Marc Fischer will pull it all together to give the marquee its first win.

In Pro Stock, the ETS’ biggest class with 388 drivers having registered championship points so far this season, Lars Hoppe is looking to end Xray and Marek Cerny’s title reign. ARC driver Hoppe and Cerny have had a great championship battle sharing two wins each but there is no love lost between the duo after they clashed in Luxembourg allowing Serpent’s Julian Borowski to claim his first win. With already crowned Formula Champion Jan Ratheisky, team-mate to Cerny, going out of the title chase at Round 5, it is advantage Hoppe going into the decider but last year Cerny pulled it off after a late turn around of his campaign that saw him go head to head for the title with Ratheisky. All of the action from the Hudy Racing Arena will be streamed live via Red RC.

May 29, 2015

Euro Touring Series Rd4 – Friday Action

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9InhTgIvIM[/youtube]

Live results from be found on MyRCM here.

For viewers in Germany you can install the free browser addon YT Unblocker or ProxTube to allow you to view the live stream.

May 28, 2015

Volker ‘LUX’ to secure fifth ETS title

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Ronald Volker travels to Luxembourg this weekend looking to claim a fifth consecutive title in the Yokomo Euro Touring Series. Securing 4-in a row when he took victory at the huge track famed for its Laguna Seca style feature corner, a perfect weekend for the Yokomo driver would be enough to put the title beyond the reach of the German’s three remaining challengers.

Heading that challenge is his own team-mate Yannic Prumper, winner of Round 3 when the ETS made a return to Italy, who currently sits second in the standings. Only fourth in the standings due to carrying a 9th place finish at the previous round in Austria, long time title rival Marc Rheinard is also in the hunt but the last driver to be ETS champion before Volker’s reign he needs to finish on the top step of the podium come Sunday. Having just beaten Volker to a record 5th title at the Reedy International Touring Car Race of Champions last weekend in California, the championship’s most winning driver will be hoping he can carry his form back to Europe. Albeit only an outside chance, the only other driver left with a mathematical chance of being crowned champion of Season #8 of the ETS is Xray’s Alexander Hagberg but he needs to TQ and win as well as for Volker to finish off the podium to go to the season finale at the Hudy Arena still in the game.

While the championship title will be the focus of Volker and his challengers, the second outdoor race of the season has attracted a number of potential winners whose only target will be only trying to add a first ever ETS race win. One of those drivers is reigning World Champion Naoto Matsukura. Having switched from Yokomo to Tamiya, the Japanese stars hasn’t had the greatest of starts with his new team with him missing the A-Main on his first ETS outing in Italy. At the Reedy Race he was also never a serious contender but he is confident that a combination of the big track and a growing knowledge of his TRF419 he can turn this around in Luxembourg. One of the stars of Round 4 in Mattsee, fellow Japanese TRF driver Akio Sobue will be looking to build on an impressive run including taking a number of wins at the Reedy Race. A drivers who relishes small tracks, Luxembourg could be a shock to the system for the 20-year-old but an finalist at the WorldChampionships in Florida he is still fast no matter what size of track he is faced with.

Star of those Worlds, Bruno Coelho is another driver looking for that first win with most predicting its not a mattter of if but when he will get the job done. The arrival of the Portuguese talent has generated renewed interest in touring car racing especially his rivalry with Volker which has seen incidents at the last two ETS encounters.

Claiming his first ETS podium in Italy and joining Rheinard & Volker on the podium at the Reedy Race, former nitro touring car World Champion Meen Vejrak appears to have really found his way with Yokomo’s BD7 and the Thai driver is certain to be one to watch again in Luxembourg. The driver Meen pipped to that podium finish at Tamiya Raceway, Christopher Krapp showed he’s now fully up to speed with his Tamiya and the popular German is determined to deliver a first podium for new TRF team.

Others to watch will be Frenchman Lucas Urban. A driver who shot to prominence when he was the star of the 2009 European Championships in Luxembourg driving an aging Losi chassis, the now VBC team driver just missed the podium last year. Making a return to the ETS at this event last year after a long absence and finishing on the podium, 2012 World Champion Jilles Groskamp has always been quick at this track. Winning his first European title there, he will be looking to help put his new HB team in the mix for at least a podium finish after a character building outing in Mattsee. Team-mate Freddy Sudhoff, who showed great speed at the Reedy Race, will also be hoping the weekend is one where everything comes together with his new team. Chasing their first ever ETS win Serpent will pin their hopes on Viktor Wilck while the potential of up & coming star Michal Orlowski and his Schumacher should add interest to the weekend’s Ride Modified class action.

In the Xray Pro Stock class, last year’s event produced a great battle between Xray’s Marek Cerny and ARC’s Lars Hoppe. With two wins a piece from the opening four races the two are set to once again to do battle as leading title contenders. In Formula, despite missing Italy due to a shoulder injury, Jan Ratheisky could be celebrating his 3rd consecutive title in the class if he finishes on the podium but having won three from three its very likely the Xray driver will lift the title in style.

April 15, 2015

‘ETS Family’ supports Marco Simoncelli Foundation

MarcoKate

Last weekend (10-12 April) the Yokomo Euro Touring Series made a long awaited return to Italy with Round 3 taking racers to Road Race Riccione RC Circuit Marco Simoncelli. The 42nd running of an ETS race, while the weekend would prove hugely successful becoming the championship’s biggest outdoor event it would also give the rc community the chance to honour the memory of MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli after whom the track is proudly named and make a donation to the Marco Simoncelli Foundation which is based just a few hundred metres from the track.

On the Sunday of the event the ETS organised a raffle to raise funds for the non-profit social welfare organisation with the three reigning world champions, Naoto Matsukura, Marc Rheinard and Alexander Hagberg donating bodyshells along with both Yokomo and Xray donating kits as prizes. A rider who had a huge following within the world of rc racing, with his 58 race number being carried by all the top ETS drivers following his tragic death in 2011 and defending ETS champion Ronald Volker carrying the famous 58 on his car over the weekend, the raffle would raise €650.

Following the event, ETS organiser Uwe Rheinard together with the series time keeper Hartmut Wenzel and press officer Oisin O’Briain visited the Foundation’s offices on where Marco’s girlfriend Kate Fretti accepted the donation. In acknowledgement of the donation, which will go towards the building of a day centre for the disabled in Marco’s home town of Coriano, the Marco Simoncelli Foundation issued a silver membership card to the ‘ETS Family’. Having built a link with the Foundation, both Kate and the ETS have pledged to form a greater collaboration for the benefit of the charity when the Euro Touring Series returns to Riccione next season.

April 8, 2015

ETS makes long awaited Italian return

RiccioneS

The Yokomo Euro Touring Series makes a long awaited return to Italy this weekend (10-12 April) with a record entry that includes six World Champions set to descend on the county’s famous seaside resort of Riccione. Only the second time the world famous touring car championship has travelled to Italy, the town of Scandiano having played host to an indoor race as part of the 2011/12 calendar, this time round the race takes place at the Road Race Riccione track as the third round of Season #8 takes the ETS action outdoor. With over 310 entries the weekend is set to be largest asphalt event in the championship’s 42 race history and but on track the big focus of attention will be on the performances of a number of high profile drivers who will debut with new manufacturers.

A former two time ETS Champion and a key contributor to the early success of the championship, Jilles Groskamp will make his first appearance in the colours of his new HB team. After seven years of been team-mates with Marc Rheinard & Viktor Wilck at Tamiya, the 2012 World Champion will at the weekend hook-up with 2006 World Champion Andy Moore and another of HB’s new 2015 signings Freddy Sudhoff. The Dutch ace will be hoping the first asphalt race of the 2014/15 season will provide a good starting point for the expanded HB team to gel and challenge for the Pro 5’s first ETS podium finish.

Joint leaders of the championship after Marc Rheinard took a convincing victory at Round 2 in Germany, Tamiya Racing Factory travels to Italy with an exciting new line-up. Having lost both Groskamp and Wilck, the ETS’ most race winning manufacturer has reassembled an impressive team around their 3-time World Champion with Rheinard being joined in the TRF colours by reigning World Champion Naoto Matsukura and multiple World finalist Christopher Krapp. Krapp’s move to Tamiya was only announced this week with Rheinard instrumental is the signing of his fellow countryman Krapp from Kyosho and the former ETS race winner is sure to benefit from the input of his two new World Champion team-mates.

With no distractions of new driver signings to worry about defending champions Yokomo travel to Italy with high hopes for both Ronald Volker, Yannic Prumper. Joint points leader having TQ’s & won the season opener, Volker proved last season he is now just as strong on asphalt as he had become famed for on carpet. A podium finisher at the first two rounds leaving him joint 3rd in the standings with Xray’s Alexander Hagberg, Prumper will be determined to build on that and will be hoping the move outdoors provides greater opportunities for overtaking with him having been somewhat frustrated by the lack of passing opportunities at Round 1 & 2. Bolstering the Yokomo line-up, World Championship finalist & former 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Champion Meen Vejrak makes the trip from Thailand with Riccione markinghis return to ETS action.

At Team Xray Hagberg sits third in the standings and is sure to be in the mix but the big interest at the Slovakian manufacturer will be how his team-mate Bruno Coelho gets on. The star of the last October’s World Championships in Florida when he finished runner-up to Matsukura, this will be the Portugese drivers first ETS outing on asphalt. Also a star of last year’s European Championships only loosing out on the title due to an electrics issue, Coelho has opened his first ETS campaign with a 6th and 8th but more at home on asphalt he will his goal is sure to be much higher for Italy.

After a very impressive debut with Serpent at Round 2 in February, Viktor Wilck will be hoping he can build on that form. Last season Marc Fischer enjoyed his best result with the S411 on asphalt finishing 4th in Austria and with Wilck having had more test time with his new car the revitalised Swede be hoping to go at least one better.

February 4, 2015

Driver changes to spice things up in ETS Round 2

This weekend (6-8 Feb) Round 2 of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series travels to Muelheim-Kaerlich in Germany with the big interest of the weekend set to be on the debut performances of a number of the championship’s leading drivers who since Round 1 last December in the Czech Republic have switched teams. The most significant of these new signings is that of multiple ETS race winner Viktor Wilck. Racing with championship’s most winning manufacturer Tamiya Racing Factory as long as the ETS has been in existence, the Swede will strengthen Serpent’s aspirations to be a winner in the premiere class as he joins podium finisher Marc Fischer.With the German round again as it did last year breaking a new record in terms of the size of the event with over 420 entries, the other big debuts to watch will be those of Freddy Sudhoff and multiple World Championship finalist Elliot Harper.

Having led the charge for Awesomatix bringing the Russian team podium finishes, Sudhoff has switched over to HB doubling the size of their factory effort. Winner of two ETS encounters with Atsushi Hara, the Japanese manufacturer will have high hopes as it gives its new PRO5 chassis its first outing in the championship. Adding to those hopes is the fact that long time team driver Andy Moore now has an equally quick team mate in Sudhoff with the chance to share set-up data sure to benefit both drivers.

Another ETS podium finisher, Harper makes his return to the championship having made only two outings last season. Driving then for Durango, who at the end of 2014 opted to discontinue their factory team, Muelheim-Kaerlich will be Harper’s first international race with Schumacher and should greatly improve their potential for the indoor rounds. Elsewhere fast Swede and regular A-Finalist Magnus Vassmar has made the switch from Xray, winners of the second round last year, to an expanded VBC Racing line-up.

In terms of the championship title contenders their has been no changes since Round 1. Four time consecutive champions, Ronald Volker and Yokomo took the win at the season opener and the German will be looking for a repeat of that performance at his home event. Last year Alexander Hagberg caught everyone by surprise as he dominated the second round taking the win from Yannic Prumper with Volker third. Having finished second at the season opener, the Swede fresh from victory in the US at the Snowbirds will be looking to build on his best ever start to an ETS campaign. Top Qualifier at Round 1 but finishing just 4th in the final, Marc Rheinard will be hoping for a better result this time round despite having no team-mates. Losing long time team-mate Wilck to Serpent, the 3-time former World Champion was expected to be joined by new TRF signing Naoto Matsukura but Tamiya have decided not to send the new World Champion.

In the Xray Pro-Stock class, which has been the reign of Xray, the weekend will mark a more concerted effort from Ride Modified Champions Yokomo. With the title of the ETS’s most popular class eluding them they have signed two key contenders in former Champion Martin Hofer and former race winner & title contender Oliver Franke. They face a formidable challenge however as they take on Xray’s defending champion Marek Cerny, Jan Ratheisky, who comes to Round 2 fresh from an impressive haul of wins at the Snowbirds in the United States, and ARC’s Round 1 dominant winner Lars Hoppe. In the Formula class one interesting entry is that of Touring Car World Championship star Bruno Coelho who along with class regulars will be hoping to give Xray team-mate & defending champion Ratheisky a run for his money.

December 3, 2014

ETS season opener attracts full house

It is set to be a full house for the opening round of the 2014/15 Yokomo Euro Touring Series with over 350 entries from drivers around the world set to descend on the Sport-V-Hotel in the small Czech town of Hrotovice this weekend (5-7 December). Entering its eighth season, the weekend marks a significant milestone in the history of the World famous championship as it will be the 40th running of an ETS race. The fifth time the popular venue has played host to the championship, the race promotes Hrotovice to the most visited and longest serving location on the ETS calendar with the hall having undergone an extension since last year’s encounter creating room to build a larger track than before. Renewing their successful partnership with the championship’s founders Uwe Rheinard and Scotty Ernst, defending champion manufacturer Yokomo will continue as title sponsors for a fifth consecutive season and having won the season opener for the last four years the Japanese company will be hoping to maintain that form this weekend.

Defending 4-time back to back champion Ronald Volker is unquestionably the man everyone must strive to beat in the premiere Ride Modified class. The Yokomo star will be looking to open his new campaign as he has done for the last four years with a victory, a victory that would again put the German equal with arch rival Marc Rheinard as the most winning driver in the championships history. Rheinard headed a Tamiya 1-2 at the season finale at the Hudy Arena and after pushing Volker hard for the win at last weekend’s Charity Race in Italy he starts the new season with greater confidence. Runner-up to Volker each season since relinquishing his 2009/10 ETS title to his fellow German, Rheinard will also be hoping to benefit from having raced in Hrotovice two weeks ago at the MIBO Cup while Volker was racing in Asia.

Winners of two rounds last season, Xray will be looking to Alexander Hagberg for a successful start to the new season. The Swede, twice an ETS winner on carpet, took a very convincing victory at Round 2 in Germany to put him in contention for the title along with Rheinard & Volker. Eventually finishing 3rd in the overall standings, Hagberg has since achieved the biggest prize of his career becoming the nitro touring car World Champion just last month in Thailand. Hrotovice will also see World Championship star & runner-up Bruno Coelho make his first ETS appearance, with Xray having high hopes for the talented Portuguese driver. Other drivers who can be expected to be in the mix are Freddy Sudhoff, the Awesomatix driver finishing on the podium there the past two seasons, Serpent’s Marc Fischer, who was second to Volker there during the 2012/13 championship, and Yokomo’s Yannic Prumper who enjoyed the win at the recent MIBO Cup encounter attended by Rheinard.

Once again Pro Stock makes up the majority of the capacity entry with defending champions Xray continuing as sponsors of the Much More powered class. Back to back champion Marek Cerny and Xray team-mate Jan Ratheisky will start out the season as title favourites, the pair between them having won all six rounds of the championship last season. While Cerny got the Pro Stock title, Ratheisky would successfully defend his title in the increasingly competitive Formula Class. Now entering its fourth season Round 1 has attracted an impressive 61 entries.