Chassis Focus – Viljami Kutvonen
Chassis – Awesomatix A800
Motor –LRP X20 4.5T
ESC –LRP Flow
Batteries – LRP 5600mAh
Tires – Volante (handout)
Radio/Servo – Sanwa/Highest
Bodyshell – Protoform LTC-R
Remarks – Finnish driver Viljami Kutvonen is running an updated version of the latest Awesomatix touring car. His A800 is fitted with prototype steering arms with a different Ackermann angle and rear suspension arms with a bigger toe-in while the rear upper arms mounts, already in pre-production, feature a bigger distance between the two links to make the whole suspension block stiffer.
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Coelho tops Q2 at Italian ETS
Bruno Coelho put in what could turn out to be an important TQ run when he topped the second round of qualifying at the Italian round of the Euro Touring Series. With the threat of rain tomorrow at the Riccione track, Q2 would see the Xray driver post the only 19-lap run as he headed the times from Q1 pace Viljami Kutvonen, the Finn 3/10th shy of making the extra lap. Making it a very good first day for the A800 on its asphalt debut, Kutvonen ‘s team-mate Freddy Sudhoff having been 11th in both practice & Q1 would find form to complete the Top 3. Adding to the Russian manufacturer’s joys, Max Machler would take the second Pro Stock qualifier leaving him as the provisional overnight TQ holder.
Having made a mistake on the opening lap of Q1 when he got a P2 behind Kutvonen, Coelho said, ‘it was all good this time, there was no mistake’. Starting the second qualifier behind the Awesomatix driver, the championship leader ‘pushed hard at the beginning to catch Viljami’ and once he was close to him he ‘just drove safe to the end’. Making changes to his Hobbywing T4, the newly crowned Euro Offroad Series Champion said this was ‘a big improvement’. With ‘more forward traction’ and the car ‘more stable than before’ this gave the 22-year-old ‘more confidence’ to drive the car on. Describing the car as ‘not perfect but super close’ for tomorrow he plans some further ‘small changes’.
Improving his Q1 time by half a second Kutvonen said the second round ‘was ok but not as good as (the) first one’. He continued his car ‘didn’t have so good rear traction’ adding ‘I don’t know why’. Describing Q2 as a ‘super good result for the team’ referring to Sudhoff’s improvement and Machler’s TQ, he said ‘I hope its dry tomorrow so I can fight for the TQ’. One of many drivers to use their second allocated set of Volante tyres, he said the A800 ‘on used tyres is OK’.
Asked about his new found pace, Sudhoff replied, ‘honestly it was just myself’. He continued ‘Viljami showed the car is good’ and once I set the car to myself I was able to get back into the Awesomatix rhythm’. Asked if he would change his car for Q3, the German said, ‘it is up to the weather tomorrow and some drivers still have new tyres but I know our car is good on used tyres’.
Improving on his Q1 performance by setting the fourth fastest time, Ronald Volker said, ‘I was hoping at least for a Top 3 run’. Making changes to the set-up of his Yokomo for Q2, the reigning champion said, the ‘car was completely different to the previous run. This time it had a lot of understeer’. With the ‘balance & grip not good’ he said he didn’t have enough to battle for a Top 3. Sitting fifth overnight, he said ‘we need to work on set-up again for Q3 if it happens’.
Deciding to run tyres for a second time, Alexander Hagberg was pleased with his P5 run calling it ‘decent’. The best placed driver on used tyres, the Xray driver also made a set-up change to his T4 declaring he ‘thought it was better’. With a new set of tyres at his disposal, the Swede said depending on the weather ‘he could be in a positive position tomorrow’. Behind Hagberg, Kyle Branson would complete the Top 6 with his Capricorn despite momentarily stopping on the track after his transponder missed a lap that was later awarded back by time keeping.
Seventh fastest Marc Rheinard was another on used tyres. The Tamiya driver said ‘I took the risk to run old when everyone else was on new’ adding ‘I hope there is plenty of sunshine tomorrow’. Highlighting he was only 9/10th off long standing rival Volker, he was happy that on the used tyres his ‘pace was ok’. Behind the 4-time World Champion his former team-mate Viktor Wilck would take his Serpent to P8. Told to allow both Viljami and Coelho through, the Swede was not happy with Scott Ernst’s call, feeling it cost him a Top 4 run.
In the Pro Stock class, it was Jan Ratheisky who would be closest to Mächler with the Schumacher of Nicolai Lindegaard completing the Top 3. In Formula, having retired in the first qualifier, Ratheisky would TQ ahead of Q1 pace setter Olivier Bultynck. Fenix driver Matteo Berlincioni would post the 3rd fastest time in front of Serpent designer David Ehrbar.
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Chassis Focus – Mattia Collina
Chassis – Xray T4 2016
Motor –Muchmore (handout)
ESC –Muchmore (handout)
Batteries – LRP Stock Spec 5800mAh
Tires – Volante (handout)
Radio/Servo – Sanwa/Highest
Bodyshell – Montech Nazda2
Remarks – Top Xray driver in seeding practice, Italian driver Mattia Collina is running a pretty standard version of the T4 2016 with an ARS rear end. Fitted with Hiro Seiko aluminium screws, his car also features graphite wishbones and C-hubs, as well as an aluminium steering system and rear aluminium uprights.
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Kutvonen TQs opening qualifier in Riccione
Viljami Kutvonen has TQ’d the opening round of qualifying at the Yokomo Euro Touring Series in Riccione. Creating somewhat of a surprise earlier in the day when he was fastest in practice, the Awesomatix driver showed his pace was genuine, topping the qualifier from current championship leader Bruno Coelho. Second fastest in practice Marc Rheinard would complete the Top 3 with a bit of gap to Alexander Hagberg in 4th but things couldn’t be much closer over the remainder of the Top 10 which was covered by less than 1-second.
In keeping with the tradition of successful Finnish racers Kutvonen reaction’s to his TQ run was brief, the 23-year-old saying it was ‘Perfect, I mean what else can I say’. Asked about his LRP powered A800 which posted the fastest lap he replied, ‘I think I will keep it the same for the next one. It’s going to be a close battle with Bruno again but I will do my best’.
A little over 3/10ths off Kutvonen, Coelho said his Xray was ‘for sure better’ than final practice after a set-up change but a bad first lap cost him a shot at the TQ. The Portuguese driver would ‘almost flip’ his T4, the 4WD Offroad World Champion joking ‘my offroad experience came in useful’ in stopping the car from rolling. Losing over half a second as a result of the moment he said ‘it cost me a win’. Planning, like Kutvonen, to leave his car unchanged for Q2, he will ‘try to do a better first lap’.
‘For the first qualifier it was pretty OK actually, it was a safe run’, was how Rheinard summed up his performance. In terms of his car however the Tamiya driver said it was ‘looser than before’ and he ‘could see Viljami pulling a gap from the start’. Adding ‘but in the end Bruno and me had the same lap times’. Happy to make ‘no crash’ over the 5-minutes as ‘with one (crash) your done’, he said he needs to improve his set-up but with it set to be a lot colder for tonight’s Q2 he doesn’t know what to change as conditions will be completely different. Hoping for good weather tomorrow, rain looking likely though, he said he must also decide whether or not to risk his second set of tyres or run his first set for a second time in the hope conditions are better for the scheduled remaining two qualifiers tomorrow.
Over two & a half seconds adrift of Rheinard, Hagberg still wasn’t happy with his Xray, saying his ‘car was very hard to drive and I don’t know why’. The Swede added, ‘I cant use the throttle and somehow we need to find more traction’.
Running in the second fastest heat after being only 19th fastest in controlled practice, Yannic Prumper would set the fifth fastest time. A little surprised but please with the result, the VBC driver ‘couldn’t push at all’ adding the car ‘car felt weird’. Almost traction rolling early on, the German was having to drive on 20-30% lock and said ‘somehow we need to find something’ to make the car more drivable. Only his second ETS outing as a lead driver for a manufacturer, Prumper’s manager said while his driver wants to win as always, this is a development period with a view to having a title contending package for next season’s ETS.
One of the sport’s most down to earth racers who seems to enjoy every minute he is at the track, Jan Ratheisky completed the Top 6 for the first qualifier. Reacting to his time, the German who is better know as a force in both Formula and Pro-Stock, said it was ‘awesome’. He added ‘Modified is the have fun class for me but maybe not in the future if this continues’. Asked about car set-up the Xray driver replied, ‘I don’t touch car since last race, just recharge the battery’. Looking to Q2, the Formula Champion continued he would ‘just charge battery and have fun’.
Fourth in practice Kyle Branson posted the 7th fastest time. The Capricorn team driver described his TE03 as being ‘loose one way’ adding ‘maybe I had a bad tyre’. The British driver would also suffer with a slowing car over the last few laps as his electrics lost power. Ask what caused this he replied ‘I don’t know why yet’.
Traction rolling his Yokomo on the opening lap, reigning champion Ronald Volker would end up with a P8. Losing 4-seconds as his LRP powered BD7 ended up on the grass, the German said with the forecast uncertain, rather than pull off to save the tyres he pushed for the best result possible incase it does rain. He said his ‘car didn’t feel like yesterday or this morning’ when he was fastest adding they need to look at making a set-up and tyre prep change for Q2. Behind the 6-time undefeated champion, Elliott Haper would take his Schumacher to 9th with Yokomo’s Loic Jasmin rounding out the Top 10.
In the Xray Pro Stock class, the opening qualifier would go the way of ARC’s Lars Hoppe. The former ETS race winner would be 1.8-seconds faster than Awesomatix’s Max Mächler who in turn was just 0.042 up on Italian Xray driver Mattia Collina with Ratheisky 4th. In the Serpent Formula class, Roche team driver Olivier Bultynck took the first round ahead of Serpent’s David Ehrbar and Bultynck’s team-mate Jacques Libar. For reigning champion Ratheisky a crash would see him retire.
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Video – Modified Qualifying Rd1
Video – Pro Stock Qualifying Rd1
Kutvonen top seed at ETS Italy
Viljami Kutvonen is the top seed for qualifying at Round 4 of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series in Italy. The first asphalt race of the season, the Awesomatix driver set the fastest 3-consecutive laps around Road Race Riccione RC Circuit Marco Simoncelli from Marc Rheinard by a considerable 4/10ths of a second. Initially credited with the fastest time but having his best lap disallowed for a track cut, championship leader Bruno Coelho would complete the Top 3 followed by Kyle Branson and reigning champion Ronald Volker.
‘Pretty good I guess’, was how Kutvonen summed up his performance in practice. The Finn continued, ‘I struggled yesterday but found some problems with the car last night and now it’s pretty good’. Commenting on the track he added, ‘I like the track but actually last year I hated it as I finished somewhere like 36th’. Racing the shaft drive A700 then, this is his first time to race the belt drive A800 on asphalt which is ‘a big step forward’ adding ‘lets hope it stays the same for qualifying’. Looking to the first qualifier, 2 scheduled for this evening due to the threat of rain tomorrow, he said ‘I will leave the car unchanged and just focus on making a clean 5-minute run’.
Running two cars in practice, the key difference being the flex of the chassis, Rheinard found today it was his second car that was quicker with it having been the other way round in open practice yesterday. Describing his ‘better car’ as ‘still difficult to drive’ he said the track is also proving difficult due to the ‘bumps, low traction and wind’ adding ‘many people are just flying off the track’. Set to run the 2nd of his two TRF419X cars in Q1, he said with conditions making it ‘kind of a lottery’ in terms of getting a good run he was planning to leave the car unchanged and instead ‘just try to get a clean run in’.
‘I think it was good’ was Coelho’s reaction after the second practice in which all the top drivers improved on their opening time. Declaring his flip after contact with the curbing ‘my mistake’, the 2015 Riccione podium finisher was confident that without this he would have posted the fastest time as his previous two laps of the three where quicker than the three that ended up being counted. Making a change to his Hobbywing powered T4 between the two controlled practices he said the track also changed and so his car was not right for the conditions and he will change it again for Q1. Asked about the track, where he shot into title contention last year, he said ‘its super difficult. With the bump (on the entry to the main straight) you close your eyes every time as the car jumps but you never know how it will land or if it will fly off the track’.
Setting the fourth fastest time with an updated Capricorn car he is running for the first time this weekend, Branson said it ‘feels pretty good after the changes’. Featuring a new chassis that has a different weave and carbon brace that replaces the tradition top deck, the British driver said the TE03 now has ‘more overall traction’. Changing the car after CP1 to a harder diff and adding weight to the front of the car to stop it lifting on power he said these changes ‘helped a little bit’. The 22-year-old plans to ‘just (the) leave car as is’ for Q1 adding ‘hopefully it will be dry’.
Having set the pace in first controlled practice, Volker said while conditions were better for CP2 his Yokomo ‘lacked a lot of traction’. Ending up P5 he would be 1-second off Kutvonen’s pace. A track the German rates as one of the best in the World, he put his drop off in performance down to tyres. With the final practice the first time he’s had a problem with the car since arriving at the track the Round 3 winner will not the change his BD7 set-up adding ‘I hope it was just a bad set of tyres’.
Completing the Top 6, Alexander Hagberg said his Xray was ‘not as good as yesterday’. The Swede said his ORCA powered T4 had ‘less traction’ and they ‘need to figure out why’. Just 0.056 behind the multiple ETS race winner, team-mate Alessio Menicucci said his car was ‘working very well’. The Italian described the track as ‘beautiful’ but added ‘it is difficult to be consistent because of the bumps and low traction’. Formula Champion Jan Ratheisky, who is racing all three classes this weekend, would make it four Xray’s in the Top 10 with the 8th fastest time.
Having claimed his first ETS podium finish last year at the track, Yokomo’s Meen Vejrak would post the 9th fastest time followed by the Serpent of Viktor Wilck. Just outside the Top 10, Kutvonen’s Awesomatix team-mate Freddy Sudhoff would post the P11 time ahead of the Schumacher of reigning British Champion Elliot Harper.
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