Euro Touring Series

April 15, 2018

Coelho takes easy A1 win

Bruno Coelho took and easy win in the opening A-Main of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series in Spain this morning, the Top Qualifier taking full advantage of the 2nd place battle between Alexander Hagberg and Ronald Volker. Off the start Volker’s Yokomo would get loose from 2nd on the grid allowing 3rd position starter Hagberg to slip through to second at the first corner. While Volker would put the Xray driver under pressure looking to take back the position he couldn’t and in the second half the race the pair were evenly matched with Hagberg leading Volker to the finish line but that wasn’t how they would finish. Just metres from the loop, Volker’s car would stop with an electric problem leaving the World Champion as a non-finisher. The main benefactor would be his team-mate Christopher Krapp would would complete the Top 3 having held off Freddy Südhoff.

Summing up what was a very straight forward race win, Coelho said, ‘Yes, that was a good final for me. Volker lost the rear at the start and Alex could go by and then with them battling I could go away’. The reigning champion, continued, ‘after that I could manage the race without any stress’. Asked about track conditions, it a much cooler day in Madrid this morning, he said, ‘It was a little loose especially in the high speed corners but I expected worse’. Looking to A2 he concluded, ‘I will just try to drive a similar race again’.

Having bumped himself up to 3rd on the grid with a tyre strategy that saw him TQ the final qualifier, Hagberg said, ‘I could pass Ronald in the first corner after he got sideways at the start and then just tried to hold onto to second’. The Swede added, ‘my car was very good in the second part of the race which worked out good. I will try to do the same again in A2’. Commenting on the track conditions, he said ‘it was a little lower grip than yesterday but quite OK’.

‘First of all, losing the start to Hagberg ended my race’, was Volker’s reaction after. The German went on, ‘My car got sideways from the grid. I easily had the pace to fight Bruno but was stuck behind Alex for the first half of the race. At the end we had the same speed’. Asked what caused his car to stop he said, ‘2 corners to go it stopped. The battery was completely empty for some reason. It didn’t feel like it was slowing on the last lap as I could still run with Alex but it just suddenly went. I don’t know why’. He concluded, ‘I’m more upset about my start because it stopped me fighting for the win’.

Krapp said, ‘given I forgot to tighten my top deck it was a pretty good result. I got lucky when Ronald shutdown. I hope they can fix the problem for A2’. The German continued, ‘I was not really an exciting race. It started ok but then my car faded because the top deck was loose so I will be sure its tight for A2’.

In Pro Stock Max Mächler managed to make his TQ stick taking the win ahead of Olivier Bultynck and Jan Ratheisky who both pushed the Awesomatix driver hard. In Formula, Bultynck used up his 9 lives to hold on for the A1 win while Ivan de La Calle managed to get by Ratheisky late in the race for second. In the Masters class, Top Qualifier Thomas Oehler had a very short race turning in early and pulling a wheel of his car on the opening lap with Christian Drießle going on to take an easy win over Christophe Puntil and Scotty Ernst.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.

April 14, 2018

Coelho confirmed Top Qualifier as Hagberg takes final qualifier

Bruno Coelho is the Top Qualifier for the first outdoor race of this season’s Yokomo Euro Touring Series, the fourth & final qualifier in Spain just a formality in confirming what was already decided in Q3. With drivers reduced to just two sets of tyres for qualifying this weekend, it effectively meant each driver had two chances with Coelho delivering TQ runs on both his attempts and Ronald Volker only get a TQ and a P2 from his new tyre runs. Q4 did however throw up one big surprise as Alexander Hagberg took advantage of holding out on running his second set of tyres to post a TQ run ahead of Coelho, who was on used tyres, and jump from the back of the A-Main grid to third behind behind his Xray team-mate and Volker while demoting Christopher Krapp to fourth. Freddy Südhoff will complete the top half of the grid while, having come into the weekend sharing the points lead with Coelho, Marc Rheinard is going to have his work cut out for himself to get a good result from 8th on the grid.

Finishing 2.7-seconds off Hagberg’s pace but still managing to be quicker than Akio Sobue, Rheinard and Yannic Prümper who were all on new tyres, Coelho said, ‘It was a good run for used tyres’. With the reigning champion now moving clear at the top of the points after picking up the Top Qualifier’s bonus point, said, ‘I knew it was almost impossible for Ronald to get a fast time on used tyres’. He continued, ‘He (Volker) did have the same pace as me on used tyres all 5-minutes. He flipped but waited and followed me again to the end and there was nothing between us so for sure its going to be a close race tomorrow. It will be the same for everyone, every race, because we get three new sets of tyres’.

Volker also made a point of highlighting how himself and Coelho were even on pace saying, ‘I had the same pace as Bruno and we were both on used tyres so I’m pretty confident for tomorrow’. Describing Q4 as ‘not a valuable qualifier’ because of this weekend’s reduction in tyres meant the TQ was decided early, the Yokomo driver said A1 could present extra challenges. He said, ‘A1 conditions will be completely different again to today because of how early the race is at so I have to consider set-up changes for this but I will wait and see’. Taking a much more leading role in the team following recent restructuring, Volker concluded, ‘I am glad Christopher got 4th and that Yannic has also made the A-Main, it is a much better start to the outdoor racing for us than the previous season’.

Posting the fastest time of today, but still over 3-seconds off yesterday’s Q1 time, Hagberg was very pleased with how his strategy played out. Having come into the weekend fresh from his 5th consecutive European 1:12 Championship victory, the Swede hadn’t looked to be a contender but now very much has a chance of taking his first podium of the current ETS season. He said, ‘On a big track like this the difference between new and used tyres is really big. We survived Q2 & 3 on used tyres and also worked on finding a better set-up and with this and new tyres the car was perfect that run. It all worked out’. Looking to the finals, he said, ‘I will try to fight for the podium and hopefully we will have some clean racing. Everyone is going to be on new tyres so it should be interesting’.

‘I’m a little disappointed the Infinity guys were not quicker on new tyres than Hagberg because now I’m starting fourth but I’m excited for the finals’, was how Krapp summed up his grid position. The Yokomo driver’s best qualifying result for a number of seasons, the former ETS race winner said his plan for the final is to ‘try my best’. Asked if he liked Yokomo’s new aluminium rear C-hubs he tried in Q4, he said the car felt better and compared to when he previously ran used tyres, Q2, he was able to run a faster lap time.

‘I’m pretty optimistic to be honest’ was Südhoff summary of his performance at the end of qualifying. Getting his 5th on the grid with his times from the opening two qualifiers on new tyres, the Awesomatix driver said, ‘my car is really good on new tyres and we have new tyres for each final’. Using Q3 & 4 on used tyres to try different set-ups he said his Q1 set-up is what he will run for the final however he did air caution over A1 saying ‘it is (on) quite early so it could be quite slippery’. Behind Südhoff, Viktor Wilck lines up 6th for Serpent ahead of the first of the Infinity drivers Akio Sobue.

In the other classes it is Max Mächler who is the Top Qualifier in Pro Stock, the Awesomatix driver the fourth different driver of the weekend to post a TQ run, in the final qualifier. The German will start ahead of Jan Ratheisky’s Xray, who took the second qualifier, and Olivier Bultynck whose Awesomatix topped the opening qualifier. Fastest in Q3, Infinity driver Dominic Vogl lines-up 4th. In the Scorpion Power Systems Formula qualifying it will be Bultynck who like last year lines up on pole for Team Shepherd. The Belgian claimed his second TQ run in the final qualifier to bag pole position ahead of last year’s ETS Spain winner Ratheisky while Infinity’s Jitse Miedema starts third. In the Infinity +40 Masters class, championship leader Thomas Oehler is Top Qualifier from Beni Stutz and Christian Drießle. Scotty Ernst will make his race debut in the new for Season #11 class from 9th on the grid.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.

April 14, 2018

Chassis Focus – Jilles Groskamp

Chassis – Infinity IF14
Motor – Team Orion Ultimate 4.5T
ESC – Team Orion HMX
Batteries –Team Orion 6000 Ultimate
Tires – Volante (handout)
Radio/Servo – Sanwa/Sanwa
Bodyshell – Montech Racer Lightweight

Remarks – Making his first ETS outing of the season here in Spain, Jilles is running a stock version of Infinity’s IF14. The only optional on the car is their ARS system in the rear with Jilles describing the rest of the car as ‘quite standard’.

Image Gallery

April 14, 2018

Coelho effectively takes overall Spanish TQ in Q3

Bruno Coelho has effectively claimed the first outdoor TQ of the Euro Touring Series by posting a second TQ run in the penultimate round of qualifying at the Spanish round. With two from the four qualifiers to count, the Xray driver has the perfect score and the added advantage of having the fastest time which he set yesterday in Q1. With his only rival Ronald Volker unlikely to manage a TQ in a quicker time given the Yokomo driver has already used both of his sets of tyres. There is also the fact that a number of drivers still have new tyres for the final qualifier namely Marc Rheinard, Akio Sobue, Yannic Prumper and Alexander Hagberg. Coelho topped the Q3 times from Christopher Krapp and Viktor Wilck, all three on new tyres, while Volker was best of those on used tyres setting the fourth quickest time ahead of new tyre equipped Jilles Groskamp while Freddy Südhoff completed the Top 6 on old tyres.

Reacting to Q3, Coelho said, ‘We made some set-up changes and ran new tyres so everything was very good and that more or less should give me the TQ. The time from yesterday was very good and will be hard to beat’. Asked if he planned to use the final qualifier to test anything for tomorrow’s finals, he replied, ‘we have a good car for the finals so will leave the car the same’. Saying ‘everyone is super close’, last year’s race winner continued, ‘I think here it is very easy to run behind someone as the braking points are easier, its a large and open track layout’.

‘That was really good and I’m happy with the car but still I’m losing time in the beginning on new tyres’, was Krapp’s thoughts on Q3. The Yokomo driver continued, ‘I am losing it all on the first 3 to 5 laps but after that I am on the same pace as Bruno and Ronald so we still need to find the reason for this problem’. Conceding he is ‘not going to get higher in the points’ and adding he ‘hope(s) to stay 3rd’, one thing the German plans for the final qualifier is to copy team-mate Volker and switch from the plastic kit rear C-Hubs to the soon to be released aluminium versions. Volker has been running them from the start of the weekend and has found them to make the car feel more precise.

Wilck described his P3 as ‘a good result’ adding ‘it was the maximum we could get out of it’. The Serpent driver said, ‘I had a lot more understeer this time cause the weather changed a lot but I still need to figure out the problem with power’. Having reported a drop off in power in Q2, the Swede changed the motor end bell and ESC setting for more power but said the ‘power drop was still there. After 3-minutes it feels like there is not enough battery left’.

‘I’m actually happy with my pace on used tyres’, was how Volker summed up his third qualifier. The Yokomo driver continued, ‘knowing I couldn’t compete with Bruno because the track temperature increased I expected the TQ run from him. With the guys behind me now having used up their sets of tyres I will most likely start 2nd so its not too bad’. Suffering one spin in Q3 that cost him 1-second, he explained, ‘the car is more difficult to drive on used tyres. It has great steering and I just lost it the once in the infield section’.

Once more the best of the Infinity team drivers, Groskamp said, ‘again I’m happy with P5 because there is still not the same traction as in practice’. He went on, ‘the feeling is different. There is just less traction and so you have to be more careful but I drove better that time. The gap to Bruno is still big but I think that is because we lack a bit of steering on this track and the track changes a lot each run so it is hard to find it (steering)’. Set to use a rear/rear tyre combination for Q4, he said, ‘its going to be hard again to compare how the car has reacted to set-up changes’. With both his team-mates having new tyres for the final qualifier he said while his chances of improving on his grid position are over he hopes Rheinard or Sobue can boost the team’s start positions.

In Pro Stock the class produced three different TQs in as many rounds as Infinity driver Dominic Vogl was quickest in Q3 ahead of Dane Frederik Mikkelsen with Jan Ratheisky stopping the clocks with the third quickest time. In Formula there was also a third different driver to top the times with Shepherd’s Olivier Bultynck running a TQ ahead of Spanish duo Ivan de La Calle and Gonzalo Garcia. In the Masters class, Beni Stutz managed to go one better than the previous attempt to TQ the round ahead of Christian Drießle while Q1 & 2 pace setter Thomas Oehler was 3rd.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.

April 14, 2018

Chassis Focus – Freddy Südhoff

Chassis –Awesomatix A800X
Motor –Hobbywing V10 G3 4,5T
ESC – Hobbywing Xerun XR10 Pro
Batteries –Silverback 6400 Siren-HV
Tires – Volante (handout)
Radio/Servo – Sanwa/MKS
Bodyshell – Protoform Type S Pro-Lite

Remarks – Enjoying a very strong showing here in Spain, Freddy is running the latest version of the Awesomatix A800X. His car is equipped with the unique new inner drive shaft system from the Russian manufacturer called IFJ and IRJ. His car is also fitted with the new bigger foam bumper and newly designed carbon bumper plate which offers direct ‘bulkhead support’. Steering wise he opted for the optional Bell Crank Steering System which they refer to as BSSX.

Image Gallery

April 14, 2018

Volker takes second qualifier at ETS Spain

Ronald Volker has taken the second qualifier at Round 3 of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series in Spain this morning, the Yokomo driver topping the times from fellow German Freddy Sudhoff with both drivers on new tyres. Having taken the opening qualifier yesterday evening, Bruno Coelho would complete the Top 3 as the fastest driver on used tyres. One of three drivers gambling on sitting out Q1 to save tyres, Viktor Wilck would post the 4th fastest time. The other two to skip the first qualifier, Jilles Groskamp and Marco Kaufmann set the 6th & 7th fastest time respectively behind Christopher Krapp who ran his first set for a second time.

Summing up this qualifier, it again a cold start to Day 2 of the event albeit more sunny today, Volker said, ‘I ran new tyres as I needed to TQ to at least make sure I’m not starting worse than second’. He continued, ‘as expected Q1 was faster so Bruno now has the edge and he can decide when to use his other set of new tyres’. While ‘saving the tyres’ towards the end of the qualifier once he had established an advantage over the field, the World Champion Coelho’s time advantage from Q1 means he just needs to decide which of the remaining two qualifiers to TQ adding ‘I won’t be able to fight with him as I’ve used both my sets (of tyres)’. In terms of his car, Volker changed to a softer diff for the lower grip of the morning track calling it the ‘right decision’ and now having to run used tyres for the remainder of the day said he will decide whether changes to his BD8 are required.

‘Its a good morning’ was a happy looking Sudhoff’s reaction to his P2 run, the Awesomatic driver 1.1-seconds off Volker. He continued, ‘obviously I was on new tyres again. I struggled a little at the beginning with traction maybe because I took the tyre warmers off too early but it improved and I could consistently do laps. The car was really good like yesterday’. Asked about track conditions he replied, ‘there was less traction but now the sun has come up it will get better’.

Commenting on his P3 time, Coelho said, ‘It was an ok round but the track was very slippery’. The reigning champion added, ‘we changed something on the car from yesterday and it was not the correct way so we go back for the next one’. Expecting, ‘the track is going to change a lot’ for Q3, the Portuguese driver appeared pleased with his decision to not run his new tyres in the second qualifier.

‘I drove a little shit the first lap. I spun on the curb coming onto the straight’, was Wilck’s view on Q2. The Serpent driver continued, ‘after that the car came in pretty good but at the end I had a little drop off in power’. Asked if he knew what had caused this the Swede replied, ‘I’m not sure if it was the battery or ESC but I think I just ned to turn up the settings’. On whether he felt his gamble to skip Q1 paid off, he said, ‘I got fourth and maybe that could have been third with a perfect run so it I’m pretty happy with it’.

Krapp summed up his P5 by saying, ‘I was on used tyres so I’m happy with the result. I knew the track was worse today and the advantage of new tyres was not so much. I was surprisingly good against drivers on new tyres’. The Yokomo driver said with his car working well he has no plans to change it with the German’s focus on making sure to get a good run when he opts to use his second set of new tyres.

‘I’m pretty happy with P6. It could have been P5 but David (Pérez) was on his roof and I had to go round him’, was Groskamp’s thoughts on what was his first qualifying attempt after he sat out Q1. The former Champion added his first lap ‘was not good’ and overall his there was room for improvement in his own driving. He said, ‘I didn’t feel comfortable with the weather. The car is not bad. If I drive it better I will be more competitive. We are up again in 2-hours when the track and our bodies will be warmer so it should be better’.

In Pro Stock, Xray’s Jan Ratheisky opened the day with a TQ run ahead of Max Mächler and yesterday’s Q1 winner Olivier Bultynck while in Formula Infinity’s Jitse Miedema denied Ratheisky a second TQ with Bultynck completing the Top 3. In the Masters class Thomas Oehler made it 2 out 2, topping the times ahead of Beni Stutz and Christian Drießle.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.

April 13, 2018

Video – Modified Qualifying Rd1

April 13, 2018

Coelho rises to the top to TQ opening qualifier in Spain

Having started out the day somewhat out of position with the 5th fastest time in CP1, Bruno Coelho has risen to the top to end the day with a TQ in the opening qualifier at the Yokomo Euro Touring Series in Spain. Carrying the No.2 for qualifying, the Xray driver would deny top seed Ronald Volker the TQ by 9/10th of the second, the current and former champions having a distinct advantage over the rest of the field. It would be Christopher Krapp who would complete the Top 3 just ahead of Freddy Sudhoff while Alexander Hagberg and Marc Rheinard rounded out the Top 6. With many predicting tyre strategy will be an important element this weekend as drivers have been reduced to two sets of race tyres, Infinity’s Jilles Groskamp and Serpent’s Viktor Wilck opted to gamble and not start Q1 hoping to steal an advantage during the remaining three qualifiers on tomorrow’s schedule.

Summing up Q1, Coelho, who took the win on the ETS’ first visit to Spain last year, said, ‘It was very good. Like I said before we found a problem after CP2 that was causing the car to drop off and now it was much better’ although he would add, ‘it is still not perfect’. With the early finish to Day 1’s official action at the Asoger RC track allowing for free practice, the Portuguese driver said he would ‘do some more testing now to further improve the car but overall I’m very happy as the car is pretty consistent’.

‘Sure I am a bit disappointed but overall I’m happy to have pace’, was Volker reaction to his P2 time. Setting the fastest lap time, he added, ‘finishing 2nd when everyone was on the same tyres shows where we are now with our car and Christopher’s P3 shows our improvement on asphalt’. Having set the early pace in the heat, the Yokomo driver said, ‘I lacked a little steering so had to back off against Bruno but I have a tiny set-up change I will try tomorrow to try improve this’.

‘I’m happy with 3rd. Right away I had a good feeling with the car’, was how Krapp summed up Q1. Only 8th fastest in seeding, the Yokomo driver said, ‘Over 3-laps I am not fastest and that is where I am losing 1-second to Ronald and Bruno’. He continued, ‘after 1-minute I am really happy with the car’. Asked what he might change to improve the car over the opening laps he said, ‘I don’t really have an ideas but I will look at Ronald’s car and maybe copy his rear end set-up’.

The only leading driver to fail to improve his time between CP1 and CP2, Sudhoff was pleased with his first qualifying attempt. The Awesomatix driver said, ‘It was pretty good. I’m more than happy even if I missed 3rd place by just 1/10th’. Asked if he had lost that time anywhere in particular, he replied, ‘I think Christopher just went full punch over the finish and I just drove my normal line’. Putting his car back to its CP1 set-up for qualifying he said was ‘easy to drive and has good corner speed’ and looking to Q2 in the morning said, ‘I will just check the temperature and maybe make minor tweaks to suit’.

Having to change to his spare car, Hagberg said, ‘I had a bit of an issue in CP1 when I hit something on straight which destroyed the car so I had to revert to my back up car and we’ve had to work fine tuning the set-up on this’. On its performance in the qualifier he said, ‘I’m lacking a little pace at the start but if we can find something to improve this I should be alright’. Asked if he hoped to use his race car again, the record 5-time consecutive 1:12 European Champion replied, ‘I am rebuilding it now so possibly we might go back to this car’.

Having shown well in controlled practice, the first qualifier was challenging for Infinity with CP1 pace setter Akio Sobue ending up 7th behind his team-mate Rheinard. None too pleased about his pace all day, Rheinard said, ‘It is still like in practice. It pushes like a truck’. Winner of the season opener and coming into the weekend jointed leader of the championship with Coelho, he continued, ‘this is not what we wanted coming here. We are tied on points with Bruno but instead of fight with him for the win its now looking like its going to be a fight to make the final’.

In the other classes it was Awesomatix’s Olivier Bultynck who TQ’d the opening Xray Pro Stock qualifier over championship leader Jan Ratheisky and Max Mächler with the Top 5 all running 14-laps in a 5:02 time. In the Scorpion Power System Formula class the order was a reverse of Pro Stock with Ratheisky’s Xray quickest from Bultynck’s Shepherd with the new Infinity IF11 of Jitse Miedema completing the Top 3. In the Infinity Masters Class championship leader Thomas Oehler TQ’d the first one ahead of Roger Krähemann while a certain Scotty Ernst debuted in the class with a P6 on his first attempt.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.