Coelho wins ETS Netherlands
Bruno Coelho has won ETS Netherlands for the second year in succession, the Xray driver taking maximum points at the Apeldoorn track to move a step closer to retaining his Modified title for the fourth season straight. Securing the TQ, he claimed his third victory of the season with a win over Christopher Krapp in A2, the Yokomo driver looking for a time like he might force things to go to A3 after getting by Freddy Sudhoff in the opening laps. At the end however Coelho, as in A1 last night, was able to maintain a save advantage at the front crossing the line 7/10th in front of Krapp with Sudhoff a further 1-second back, the Top 3 having quickly broke away from of the rest of the 11 car field with Yannic Prümper finishing a distant 4th.
Commenting on his second A-Main encounter Coelho said, ‘At the beginning I was a little afraid to make mistakes so I stayed away from the curbs. Then Freddy had some kind of mistake which allowed Christopher to close on me but like yesterday I expected a drop off in the middle (of the race) and that’s what happened’. Moving into the Championship lead with today’s win, he continued, ‘the points are what we came for and for sure this is good for the title. I know have 3TQ and 3 Wins and something like a 6th & 8th so its still open’. While having the advantage of the season finale being at his ‘home’ track, the Hudy Arena, the World Champion said while he was ‘happy with result today’ he is ‘still not totally happy with the car’. He explained, ‘we are still missing something to the Awesomatix guys. We need to make our car faster. We thought after the last ETS in Austria and the Euros that we were on a good way but here we see we are not so we still need to work a lot’.
Reacting to his A2 challenge, Krapp said, ‘I hope I made it interesting for a while at least. To be honest my car was really game on that time. Freddy was struggling so I go on his inside and passed him. Then I was on Bruno and tried everything but just didn’t have enough. Congrats to him on the win’. Asked were he was lacking compared to Coelho, the German explained, ‘he was having trouble at the end of the straight, his car was loose there but he was better then me on the right side which meant I couldn’t get close enough to make a move at the end of the straight’. Going into A3 with a chance of second, the German, who is still seeking his first podium of the season, said, ‘ I will try to fight for second (overall) but Freddy had some problems that one so I’m sure he will be quick again in the next one. I will race it out with him and make sure I don’t do any stupid stuff’.
‘Mission failed’, was Sudhoff’s reaction after A2. One only three drivers to win this season after taking his first ETS career win in Madrid, the German continued, ‘the first few laps I was struggling for overall traction. I took my tyre warmers off too early and then we had the driver presentation so they were too cold. It was my own fault’. He added, ‘that’s how Krappy could pass me like he did out of the corner. For the last one I need to work on tyre prep and then see what happens’.
In the other classes A2 also saw the Xray Pro Stock decided. Having taken A1 from the TQ, new EFRA European Champion Olivier Bultynck again took charge of proceedings to secure his first overall win of the season with his Awesomatix. In Scorpion Power Formula class former champion David Ehrbar took the win ahead of reigning Champion Jan Ratheisky after Top Qualifier Simon Lauter and Jitse Miedema came together in the middle of the race. The Infinity 40+ Masters class was won by Andreas Weyhoven despite the German getting a stop go penalty for contact at the start with Top Qualifier and A1 winner Toni Mateo. In the 17.5 Stock class there were tears of joy for Marwin Riedelbauch as he backed up his A1 win with another in A2 to take his biggest ever race win.
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Video – Modified A-main Leg 1
Video – Pro Stock A-main Leg 1
Video – Formula A-main Leg 1
Video – Masters 40+ A-main Leg 1
Video – Stock 17.5 A-main Leg 1
Coelho wins opening A-Main at ETS Netherlands
Bruno Coelho took a tone to tone win in a hot opening A-Main at ETS Netherlands but the Xray driver was shadowed throughout the race by Freddy Sudhoff. While the Top Qualifier looked in full control of proceedings early on, Sudhoff would come back at him reducing the gap to 5/10ths of a second which is how it remained to the finish. Behind, having put pressure on Sudhoff for the opening minute, Christopher Krapp would finish as he started with third place but dropping back 1.3-seconds behind. Krapp’s team-mate Ronald Volker would be highest finisher to make a pass during the race as he, to the cheer of onlookers, found a way around the outside of fourth place qualifier Alexander Hagberg.
Summing up A1, Coelho said, ‘It was a tough final. Freddy didn’t give me space to breath. The gap was 5/10ths all the final. I was not able to pull away and he was not able to catch me’. A very hot day at the Apeldoorn track but expected to be cooler tomorrow, the Portuguese driver who is looking to make it back to back Dutch ETS wins said, ‘The track was better now than the last qualifier but the last A-Main is going to be at a similar time to when it was hottest so again it is going to difficult racing conditions tomorrow’.
‘It was a close one’, was Sudhoff’s reaction to the opening final. The Awesomatix driver explained, ‘at the beginning Bruno pulled away slightly because I was trying to save my tyres but after 2-minutes I pushed 105%. For sure it was a little cooler and easier for the car but I just could find that last bit to catch him’. Looking to tomorrow, the ETS Spain winner said, ‘I think from that race we lose a light on the right side of the track so we might change something for that but I need to check the conditions in the morning’.
Commenting on his third place, Krapp said, ‘I am happy with the car, it was a solid run but pretty I’d say’. The Yokomo driver added, ‘the first minute I was really quick and challenging Freddy but then he found 6th or 7th gear and pulled away. I couldn’t do anything’. Asked about the possibility of a podium tomorrow, the German replied, ‘I want more but a podium is the first aim. I’m not sure what the weather is but we will adjust the car for it. I hope Freddy attacks Bruno’.
In Pro Stock it was also a win for the Top Qualifier as Olivier Bultynck took a controlled win over Frederik Mikkelsen and Dominic Vogl, the Top 3 finishing as they started. Qualifying down in 7th, championship points leader Simon Lauter worked his way up to 4th by the finish. Lauter would make light work of the Formula A-Main taking the win from the TQ some 8/10ths up on David Ehrbar, the Top 5 finishing as the started. 40+ Master and 17.5 Stock were also won by the Top Qualifiers with Toni Mateo having the biggest win of the day with three and a half seconds to spare over Beni Stutz while the new Stock class went to Marwin Riedelbauch who initial lost his lead to Daniel Pöhlmann who ended up third behind Tobias Baumbach.
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