Video – Mod & Pro Stock A-main Leg 2
Video – Formula A-main Leg 2
The Formula class makes its series debut in Italy and with 39 cars competing, there was plenty of action on track. Check out the video above from the 2nd leg of the Formula A-main, which was eventually won by Marco Donadelli.
Volker pulls off perfect Italian job
Ronald Volker has pulled off yet another perfect weekend on the Euro Touring Series’ first ever visit to Italy with a win in the second A-Main of the Ride Modified class securing the defending champion his second overall win of the 2011/12 season. Having held off the close attentions of his factory Yokomo team-mate Yannic Prümper in the opening final, the German this time had to hold off the attention of Tamiya’s Marc Rheinard who looked far more like the threat we were expecting from the World Champion this weekend.
Volker said after the race his LRP powered BD5 was more difficult to drive this time round with the traction feeling different to Leg 1 and admitted if the race ran a few more laps he may have struggled to hold off Rheinard. Delighted to have maximum points from the opening two rounds of this the 5th season of the ETS, the former European Champion is already focused on Round 3 in March which travels to Gran Canaria which is an asphalt event. Having struggled to match Tamiya outdoors last season, Volker believes it is going to be a tough challenge on the Spanish Island and his team will have to work extra hard to continue their winning run.
Rheinard said his TRF417 was better this time round but having tested his spare car in the warm-up for the 2nd leg believes if had he decided to run it he would possibly have able to mount an earlier challenge on Volker. Using instead the same car he has ran all weekend which has a 2.5mm chassis he made a late challenge for the win until he went off line and across the dots on the final lap. With second overall still to play for Rheinard will use the spare car in Leg 3 as its 2.25mm chassis appeared to give more steering in the brief run he tried it.
Finishing third after he traction rolled while chasing down Volker, Prümper said his BD5 was really difficult to drive following the extension of the timing of his front tyre prep. The roll which saw his car require marshalling cost the 18-year-old 5-seconds and dropped him to fourth. Again setting the fastest lap and the only driver to run a 12-sec lap he recovered to take third after getting passed the Tamiya of Viktor Wilck. With Volker sitting out the next final, Prumper will essentially have pole position and will be looking for the win as this would allow Yokomo to claim their first ever ETS 1-2 podium finish.
In the Xray Pro-Stock class Steffen Leinburger backed up his Leg 1 win with another victory to secure his first overall ETS success. The German is enjoying a great start to 2012 having also won Pro Stock at the recent DHI Cup. Leinburger had to over come an action pack race which saw him and Zdenko Kunák come together dropping them down the order and handing the race lead to the No.3 Awesomatix of Ivan Laptev. Setting the fastest lap of the race Hot Bodies driver worked his way back to the front but almost undone all his good work when he rolled on the final lap. Landing rubber side down he stayed at the front to win from fellow Hot Bodies driver Oliver Franke by just over a second with Kunák third.
Ride Modified Leg 2 Result
1.(1) Ronald Völker (DE) – Yokomo/LRP – 24/5:10.903
2.(3) Marc Rheinard (DE) – Tamiya/Speed Passion – 24/5:11.450
3.(2) Yannic Prümper (DE) – Yokomo/Speed Passion – 23/5:02.006
4.(5) Viktor Wilck (SE) – Tamiya/Thunder Power – 23/5:05.101
5.(6) Christopher Krapp (DE) – Kyosho/Orion – 23/5:05.292
6.(9) Loic Jasmin (FR) – Yokomo/LRP – 23/5:12.051
7.(8) Andy Moore (GB) – Hot Bodies/HPI Flux – 23/5:13.572
8.(10)Dominik Fleischmann (DE) – Hot Bodies/LRP – 22/5:05.970
9.(7) Eric Dankel (DE) – Yokomo/LRP – 22/5:08.818
10.(4)Alexander Hagberg (SE) – Xray/LRP – 22/5:09.262
Xray Pro-Stock Leg 2 Result
1.(2) Steffen Leinburger (DE) – Hot Bodies – 22/5:06.512
2.(5) Oliver Franke (DE) – Hot Bodies – 22/5:07.624
3.(1) Zdenko Kunák (SK) – Xray – 22/5:10.206
4.(9) Fabian Bucher (DE) – Xray – 22/5:11.184
5.(7) Philip Tschupp (CH) – TOP – 22/5:11.619
6.(3) Ivan Laptev (RU) – Awesomatix – 22/5:14.007
7.(4) Felix Wiessmann (DE) – Yokomo – 21/5:01.547
8.(6)Alessio Menicucci (IT) – Xray – 21/5:02.801
9.(8) Michal Orlowski (PL) – Tamiya – 22/5:08.251
10.(10)Francesco Martini (IT) – Xray – 21/5:12.477
View the complete results here.
View the event image gallery here.
Video – Mod & Pro Stock A-main Leg 1
Völker sees off Prümper to win first A-Main
Euro Touring Series Round 2 Top Qualifier Ronald Volker led a 1-2 finish for Team Yokomo in the opening A-Main of the Ride Modified class in Italy but the champion was made work hard for the win as team-mate Yannic Prümper mounted a serious challenge over the race’s closing laps. Seperated by just 8/100th as they crossed the finish line, the pair were the class of the field with Tamiya Racing Factory’s Marc Rheinard finishing a distant third.
Happy with the result for his team, Volker was not so happy with his own personal performance over the 5-minute encounter saying he did not drive with the same level of confidence as yesterday which resulted in some less than perfect lines. After catching a number of corner dots in the opening laps the German ace tried to take a more safe approach which was fine until Prümper found his rhythm and closed in. Forced to push once again he started to make very small errors allowing his teenage team-mate to further reduce the gap. Volker said his LRP powered BD5 is working fine and it is his driving that he needs to focus his attentions on.
Setting the fastest lap, Prümper said his car only came good around half way into the race. Suffering with understeer over the opening laps this forced him to defend his position from former team-mate Rheinard. With the World Champion eventually dropping back the former race winner had a clear track to close in on the leader. Looking on a number of occasions to make a move on Volker, Prümper said he didn’t want to take any risks and was only willing to try a pass if he was sure it could be a clean one. Planning to apply additive to his front tyres for longer for the second A-Main he hopes he can challenge for the win from the start and force the first ever Italian ETS race to go down to the third leg.
Rheinard said after his car ran the first two race laps and the tyres warmed up he felt like he might be able to mount some sort of challenge but at around the two minute mark the title contender said the performance just dropped off. Leaving him to run a lonely race to third, he said he is totally lost as to what to do to cure the sudden lack of pace his TRF417 develops.
In the Xray Pro Stock class Steffen Leinburger got the better of Top Qualifier Zdenko Kunák to take the win in what was also a close opening A-Main. The German Hot Bodies driver won from the Xray of the current championship leader by 6/10th while former Hobby Class Champion Michal Orlowski put in a great drive to complete the Top 3. Driving a Tamiya the young Polish talent who is making his first Pro Stock A-Main appearance started the race from 8th on the grid.
Ride Modified Leg 1 Result
1.(1) Ronald Völker (DE) – Yokomo/LRP – 24/5:10.118
2.(2) Yannic Prümper (DE) – Yokomo/Speed Passion – 24/5:10.199
3.(3) Marc Rheinard (DE) – Tamiya/Speed Passion – 24/5:13.925
4.(7) Eric Dankel (DE) – Yokomo/LRP – 23/5:03.514
5.(6) Christopher Krapp (DE) – Kyosho/Orion – 23/5:03.820
6.(4) Alexander Hagberg (SE) – Xray/LRP – 23/5:05.030
7.(5) Viktor Wilck (SE) – Tamiya/Thunder Power – 23/5:07.103
8.(8) Andy Moore (GB) – Hot Bodies/HPI Flux – 23/5:11.286
9.(9) Loic Jasmin (FR) – Yokomo/LRP – 23/5:11.430
10.(10)Dominik Fleischmann (DE) – Hot Bodies/LRP – 10/2:11.887
Xray Pro-Stock Leg 1 Result
1.(2) Steffen Leinburger (DE) – Hot Bodies – 22/5:07.561
2.(1) Zdenko Kunák (SK) – Xray – 22/5:08.121
3.(8) Michal Orlowski (PL) – Tamiya – 22/5:12.389
4.(5) Oliver Franke (DE) – Hot Bodies – 22/5:13.927
5.(9) Fabian Bucher (DE) – Xray – 22/5:14.099
6.(4) Felix Wiessmann (DE) – Yokomo – 21/5:00.895
7.(6)Alessio Menicucci (IT) – Xray – 21/5:01.439
8.(3) Ivan Laptev (RU) – Awesomatix – 21/5:07.209
9.(10)Francesco Martini (IT) – Xray – 21/5:09.372
10.(7)Philip Tschupp (CH) – TOP – 21/5:11.871
View the complete results here.
View the event image gallery here.
Video – Modified Qualifying Rd4
Kunák on target for back to back Pro Stock success
Having claimed his first ever ETS win at the 2011/12 season opener, Team Xray’s Zdenko Kunák is on target to make it back to back victories after he secured overall TQ honours for Pro Stock in Italy this evening. Taking the opening two qualifiers, Kunák could only be denied from carrying the No.1 race number on his car in tomorrow’s triple A-Main by Awesomatix’s team driver Ivan Laptev who earlier in the day topped Q3. Proving a difficult run for Kunák after himself and reigning champion Martin Hofer had a coming together, Laptev could not repeat his earlier performance finishing the fourth & final qualifier with the third fastest time ensuring the Slovak driver his second pole position of this the fifth season of the ETS. Unfortunately for Hofer posting only the ninth fastest time right behind Kunák means the Schumacher driver ends up 11th overall and pole in the B-Main which is a big set back to the German’s title defence.
Asked about tomorrow’s final Kunák said he will change the set-up on his T3 so as to make it less aggressive but his game plan is to just drive with a cool head and make no mistakes. Topping Q4 to secure 2nd on the grid, Steffen Leinburger said the finals will be all about who doesn’t make a mistake rather than who can pass who. Topping yesterday’s practice ahead of Kunák, the German has the speed and is confident with his Hot Bodies which he said is working well on this track and easy to drive. Having made quite a few mistakes today he said he hopes thats them all out of his system.
Laptev described his 3rd spot on the grid as a ‘miracle’. Qualifying in the C-Main in Modified he plans to use his first run in the premiere class to try a set-up idea for his Pro stock car. As for the opening Pro stock A-Main he said his plan is to just be patient behind Kunák and Leinburger and see if they trip each other up and as a previous race winner he said he has to be cautious of those starting behind him, in particular another former race winner Oliver Franke who starts 5th behind the Yokomo of youngster Felix Wiessmann who has looked strong here this weekend.
While Ronald Volker secure TQ honours in the Ride Modified class after the third round of qualifying he completed the clean sweep by topping Q4 from Yokomo team-mate Yannic Prumper who will start second on the grid. Yokomo have enjoyed a strong performance here in Scandiano getting four cars in the final. Eric Dankel will line up 7th on the grid while French Champion Loic Jasmin gets to make his first ever ETS A-Main start from 9th on the grid.
The man most expected to challenge Volker this weekend Marc Rheinard starts the final 3rd on the grid just in front of Team Xray’s Alexander Hagberg. Rheinard has struggled to be a match for the defending champion and is sure to be conscious of Hagberg starting behind him as there is no love lost between the German and the Swede following their incidents at the recent DHI Cup.
Also making the main event tomorrow are Tamiya’s Viktor Wilck and Kyosho’s Christopher Krapp who start 5th & 6th respectively. Krapp started from the same spot at Round 1 of the ETS and went on to claim his first podium finish so the German will be one to watch. Completing the grid & both representing Hot Bodies are former World Champion Andy Moore who will carry No.8 on his TCX and Dominik Fleischmann starts 10th. Putting in a very competitive final qualifier to post the 6th fastest time it was a performance that came too late for Team Serpent’s Marc Fisher and the German National Champion ends up in the unenviable BQ position.
Ride Modified A-Main Grid
1. Ronald Völker (DE) – Yokomo/LRP – 310
2. Yannic Prümper (DE) – Yokomo/Speed Passion – 306
3. Marc Rheinard (DE) – Tamiya/Speed Passion – 305
4. Alexander Hagberg (SE) – Xray/LRP – 304
5. Viktor Wilck (SE) – Tamiya/Thunder Power – 303
6. Christopher Krapp (DE) – Kyosho/Orion – 302
7. Eric Dankel (DE) – Yokomo/LRP – 300
8. Andy Moore (GB) – Hot Bodies/HPI Flux – 297
9. Loic Jasmin (FR) – Yokomo/LRP – 297
10.Dominik Fleischmann (DE) – Hot Bodies/LRP – 296
Xray Pro-Stock A-Main Grid
1. Zdenko Kunák (SK) – Xray – 310
2. Steffen Leinburger (DE) – Hot Bodies – 308
3. Ivan Laptev (RU) – Awesomatix – 307
4. Felix Wiessmann (DE) – Yokomo – 304
5. Oliver Franke (DE) – Hot Bodies – 303
6. Alessio Menicucci (IT) – Xray – 302
7. Philip Tschupp (CH) – TOP – 300
8. Michal Orlowski (PL) – Tamiya – 299
9. Fabian Bucher (DE) – Xray – 298
10.Francesco Martini (IT) – Xray – 296
View the complete results here.
View the event image gallery here.
Volker on target for perfect Italian job
Ronald Volker is on target to pull off the perfect Italian job at Round 2 of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series after securing yet another TQ run in the third round of qualifying to secure pole position for tomorrow’s A-Main finals. On target to repeat his domination of the opening event of the 2011/12 season in Germany, the Yokomo ace has ruled proceedings since arriving in Italy with no one able to mount any serious challenge to the reigning ETS Champion.
While it was business as usual for Volker at the top of the time sheets, the third round of qualifying saw Team Xray’s Alexander Hagberg make huge progress as he took his LRP powered T3 2012 to second for the round with what is so far the second fastest overall qualifying run. The Swede who was struggling to get a good feeling with his car switched to heavier shock oil for Q3 resulting in a car that he could now drive hard and with confidence. Having found a ‘good base set-up’ Hagberg said he plans a few minor adjustments for last qualification round but says its now game on for a Top 3 starting position on the grid.
Setting the third fastest time Yannic Prumper was on target for second but as he passed the slower car of Team Xray’s Martin Hudy the pair touched costing the former ETS race winner over 1.5 seconds. While the ultra calm teenager didn’t appear too bothered by the incident his mechanic Toni Rheinard made his thoughts clear to the Slovak driver following the run.
Marc Rheinard, who after having a moment early in the run had to let Prumper through, set the fourth fastest time but the World Champion said his Tamiya just was not fast enough due to a lack of corner speed. Behind him Kyosho’s Christopher Krapp set the fifth fastest time ahead of the Yokomo’s of Eric Dankel and France’s Loic Jasmin.
In Pro Stock we saw our first change at the top of the time sheets as Russian driver Ivan Laptev finally got his Awesomatix to work. Struggling to get the A700 to work on the bumpy track the winner of last season’s final round ran a super soft set-up on the car’s unique suspension design. With such soft suspension Laptev had to fit swaybars to his car something he normally doesn’t need to use but the desperate measure was to pay off and he was able to TQ the round ahead of championship leader Zdenko Kunák.
For defending ETS Pro Stock champion Martin Hofer his late arrival to the event due to a University exam on Friday morning looks like costing him dearly. Managing only the 7th fastest time in Q3, which for the German is best run yet, the Schumacher driver needs to pull out something special in the final qualifier if he is to make the grid for tomorrow’s A-Main.
View the complete results here.
View the event image gallery here.
