Orlowski opens ETS title defence with Dutch win

Schumacher Racing’s Michal Orlowski got his ETS title defence off to the perfect start with a victory at the season opener at the Dutch Apeldoorn circuit.  Having secured the TQ at the first of this season’s reduced 5-round Championship calendar, the Pole continued his winning ways into the 17th season with victory over the Awesomatix pairing of Lucas Urbain and Marc Rheinard.  In A1, which was held Saturday evening, Orlowski would struggle initially with the colder and windier evening conditions on the opening lap with second place qualifier Rheinard attempting a pass that saw the pair touch slightly allowing both Urbain and Akio Sobue to go through.  Urbain would then have a spin handing the Axon of Sobue the lead.  Pushed hard by Rheinard and Orlowski, Sobue was in defence mode and as Rheinard attempted to execute a pass both cars touched on the straight resulting in them both going flying off the track.  Back in front Orlowski then cruised to a 2.5 second win over Urbain.  Sunday morning’s A2 was a much more straight forward affair for Orlowski as he lead from start to finish setting the fastest lap as he took his Hobbywing powered Mi9 to the win.  The winner of all four of the 6 rounds his busy schedule allowed him attend last year, his second consecutive Apeldoorn victory it marks his sixth ETS race win and sees him leave with maximum championship points for the weekend.   Rheinard would win A3 as Urbain & Sobue battled for second, the pair coming together at the final corner, but Urbain’s second places in A1 & 2 gave him second overall with Rheinard completing the podium.  In Pro Stock Top Qualifier Lukas Ellebrock took the win for Awesomatix, the Top 3 qualifiers finishing as the started with Tim Benson the runner-up and Champion Oliver Bultynck opening his title defence with the final step on the podium.

Image: ETS [Facebook]