April 23, 2017

Orlowski survives early chaos to win A1

Michal Orlowski came out on top of the opening A-Main of 4WD at the Euro Offroad Series in Austria, the Schumacher driver capitalising on all three Xray drivers starting ahead of him rolling at the same corner. Off the start it was Top Qualifier Bruno Coelho who led away the field from team-mate Martin Bayer but as they came onto the straight for the first time the Xrays performing a synchronised roll which would end Lee Martin’s challenge as he collected Bayer’s car.   This would leave Martin Wollanka to lead but 3-laps later he would execute an almost carbon copy of his team-mate’s error allowing 5th place starter Orlowski to go to the front where, despite his slipper going, he would stay to the end.  Wollanka would finish second with Neil Cragg completing the Top 3.

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April 23, 2017

3rd TQ in a row for Coelho at EOS season finale

Bruno Coelho is on target to round out Season #6 of the Euro Offroad Series in Austria with the perfect result.  Having TQ’d and won 2WD, the Xray driver has secured the overall TQ for 4WD with few mad enough to bet against the World Champion not capping off his EOS title winning season with a 4th 4WD win.  After breaking his car in Q1 last night, today Coelho was unstoppable taking all three remaining qualifiers even recovering from an error in the final round to top the times.  Making it an Xray 1-2 on the grid, Q1 winner Martin Bayer will start second with Yokomo’s Lee Martin the best non Xray on the grid securing third ahead of Martin Wollanka and EOS 2WD Champion Michal Orlowski.

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April 23, 2017

Coelho redeems himself to head Xray 1-2-3 in Q2

Having broke his car in the opening 4WD qualifier last night, Bruno Coelho redeemed himself this morning by leading an Xray 1-2-3 in Q2 at the Euro Offroad Series in Austria. The back to back EOS Champion, topped the times by over 4-seconds from Q1 pace setter Martin Bayer who is running in the second fastest heat.  Also running in that heat, Kája Novotný would complete the Top 3, a further second back.  With the Xray’s the dominant force the honour of best of the rest would fall to Neil Cragg, the Associated driver finishing a frustrated fourth feeling he had the pace for at least a Top 3 finish.  Behind him Marc Rheinard led the Yokomo challenge with 5th for the round.

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April 22, 2017

Bayer TQs opening 4WD qualifier

Martin Bayer has TQ’d the opening round of 4WD qualifying at EOS Austria, the Xray Offroad team manager leading a 1-2 for the Slovakian manufacturer despite running in the second fastest heat.  12th fastest in seeding practice, the former EOS race winner would top the times for the first of the four qualifiers by over a second from Martin Wollanka.  With top seed Bruno Coelho looking like it was business as usual for the Champion in the top heat, starting to come under pressure from 2WD Champion Michal Orlowski a mistake from the 2WD winner would see him break a front arm. Orlowski now held the lead but Lee Martin was now also in the mix along with Wollanka. In the end Wollanka would take the top heat on the last lap by 8/100ths from Orlowski with Martin 3/10ths off but to all their surprise Bayer’s time would earn the Czech driver the TQ.  With Neil Cragg and Marc Rheinard completing the Top 6, Ryan Maifield’s troubled start to 4WD continued as the American suffered a DNF after his steering broke after just one lap.

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April 22, 2017

Coelho leads Cragg in 4WD seeding

With the Euro Offroad Series season finale making the switch from 2 to 4WD, it is 2WD winner Bruno Coelho who is the top seed for qualifying in Austria.  Over two rounds of controlled practice the Xray driver topped the time on both occasions despite breaking half way through the first run.  Improving his 3-consecutive laps by 1/10th, the already confirmed back to back Champion would end up with a 7/10ths of a second advantage over Neil Cragg, the Associated driver unable to improve on his CP1 time.  With the field more closely matched behind Coelho, Martin Wollanka would set the third quickest time ahead of Lee Martin and Michal Orlowski, the trio separated by 8/100ths of a second.  Having started out strong in 2WD and only missing out on a debut win as the race was decided on the tiebreaker, Ryan Maifield had a tough run in 4WD with wiring issues in both controlled practice runs.  The Yokomo driver will run in the second fastest heat having ended up P11.

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April 22, 2017

Maifield takes A3 but tiebreaker decides Coelho winner

The season finale of the Euro Offroad Series at the Modellbau Wels in Austria provided thrilling entertainment for show goers with the 2WD A-Main coming down to the tiebreaker after a dramatic A3. With Joona Haatanen winning A1 and Bruno Coelho taking the second encounter, the race for the overall win was wide opening going into third leg.  Like in A1 it looked like Top Qualifier Coelho was in control but a mistake entering the kicker turned the race on its head opening the door for EOS debutant Ryan Maifield to have a shot at a maiden victory. With the crowd behind the American, the excitement looked to be short lived as a lap later the Yokomo driver went off the track at the end of the straight but Coelho had another mistake in his system and with three laps to go Maifield pressured it out of the Xray driver to go to the front with 3-laps to go.  Taking a hugely popular win, Maifield’s crash was to be the undoing of a debut EOS win as Coelho took the tiebreaker with his A2 winning time which was 1.5-seconds quicker, Maifield’s crash costing him over 2-seconds.  While a mistake in A3 would leave Haatanen with a P5, the Team Associated driver had done enough in the previous two legs to see him complete the podium for the fifth round.

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April 22, 2017

Coelho sees off Maifield to win A2 at EOS

After a tough opening A-Main at EOS Austria, Top Qualifier Bruno Coelho delivered the win in A2 seeing off the attentions of an also improved Ryan Maifield. Having thrown away a comfortable lead in A1 and then rolling out of the lead while under pressure from Joona Haatanen, this time round the Portuguese driver ran a near perfect race overcoming the pressure of EOS debutant Maifield. Behind them it was A1 winner Haatanen who would complete the Top 3 setting the stage for a thrilling deciding 3rd A-Main at Modellbau Wels.

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April 22, 2017

Haatanen wins exciting A1 in Austria

Joona Haatanen came off the winner of an exciting opening 2WD A-Main at the Euro Offroad Series season finale in Austria this morning.  Lining up 4th on the grid, the Finn drove an impressive race, capitalising on mistakes from the Top 3 starters to lead home an Associated 1-2.  With the first key mistake of the race coming from Ryan Maifield,  one lap later Haatanen would get by Maifield’s Yokomo team-mate Lee Martin with 2nd place looking the likely outcome of the race for the teenager as Top Qualifier Bruno Coelho pulled out a comfortable lead.  However at the half way mark Coelho would traction roll his Xray off the front jump allowing Haatanen to close right up.  Following the EOS Round 3 winner for 4-laps, the Arena 33 Top Qualifier would go to the front when Coelho went flying off the track at the end of the straight. With Martin and Neil Cragg also getting through, it was the fight for 2nd between the battling Brits that would provide the closing entertainment.  While Martin would run a tight line to try defend his position, on the penultimate lap he hit a corner dot which pushed him wide which was all Cragg needed to make the pass to claim 2nd with Martin finishing as he started.  Crashing on his final lap, Coelho would end up fourth with Maifield’s first ever EOS race ending with a 5th.

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