March 31, 2019

Akio Sobue snatches Rd8 TQ in final qualifier

Akio Sobue is top qualifier for the final round of the 2018/19 OneTen series presented by Infinity at PYC in Hong Kong, the Japanese Infinity driver gambling big earlier in the day only for it to pay off in the last two heats. The only other person that could go for the pole position, Marc Rheinard could only take 2nd for the round, 9 tenths back, and will start right behind Sobue in this afternoon’s single 8-minute A-main. Jin Sawada makes it an all Infinity IF14 top 3, with Serpent driver Naoki Akiyama having a much better Sunday and he will start from 4th on the grid, just ahead of top Hong Kong driver Kenrick Fong. Speaking to Akio following the race he said ‘big gamble’ referring to his saving tires in this morning’s first two rounds of qualifying. Using his tires from Q3 in Q4 he said the car was really good on used tires, while according to those that ran new tires in the final round, they were difficult to drive at the start with little feeling. For the final, like all the other front runners, he will run his remaining set of new tires.

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March 31, 2019

Rheinard again in Q2

The second round of qualifying for today’s eighth and final round of the OneTen series has gone once again to Marc Rheinard, the Infinity driver playing the tire strategy perfectly to all but seal the TQ, 2 qualifying rounds from 4 to count. Jin Sawada took 2nd, the Infinity pairing both running one run tires as Sobue continued to run old tires, gambling on the last two rounds to have a shot at pole position. It was a better run for the Yokomo team as both Meen Vejrak and Nicholas Lee bolted on fresh tires to claim 3rd and 4th respectively with Xray’s Gary Huang taking 5th. Marc said ‘it felt ok, the first lap was not so fast but from the 2nd lap it was ok’. Using the same tires that he ran for the opening qualifier, the German noted that ‘the drop off is not too big, I just had two bad laps where I went into the dust. For the remaining 2 rounds, he will work with his Infinity team mates regarding when to use their new tires to claim the best possible starting spots for the final.

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March 31, 2019

OneTen Rd8 first qualifier goes to Marc Rheinard

Marc Rheinard has continued where he left off yesterday, the winner of Rd7 of the series here at PYC taking the opening qualifier over a much improved Naoki Akiyama. Jin Sawada would come home in 3rd place while Hong Kong Yokomo driver Kendrick Fong was 4th just in front of his Thai team mate Charlee P. It was a tough start for both Akio Sobue and Nicholas Lee, the newly crowned champion starting qualifying with used tires and ending up in 6th while Lee ended 8th having to scramble between practice and qualifying as he destroyed his car in free practice. The Singaporean hit a stationary Kendrick Fong at the start of the straight away and completely destroyed his car, team mate Jackie Shum sacrificing his race to give his team mate his race car to run. Rheinard, who is racing for the first time in Hong Kong, was quick to comment that both ‘Naoki and Jin are also very fast now’. With conditions changing overnight, it being more windy and dusty today, the Infinity driver used the first heat to again test the Zoo Racing Preopard which he feels has more turn in but carries less corner speed.

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March 30, 2019

Victory for Marc Rheinard at OneTen debut

Marc Rheinard has won on his debut at the OneTen series in Hong Kong, aided by an accident between his team mate Akio Sobue and pole sitter Nicholas Lee. Misjudging a passing opportunity Akio made heavy contact with the Yokomo driver, breaking his rear upright and forcing him to retire on the spot. This allowed Marc into the lead where he was able to drive it home and take the win, in doing so preventing Sobue from making it a clean sweep of the series this season. Rheinard commented that he ‘just stayed back’ and following the accident he ‘just took it’. He was again on old tires and with the win sealed up he has an extra set for tomorrow which will aid him in doing the double here at PYC.

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March 30, 2019

OneTen Modified A1 goes to Rheinard

Marc Rheinard has taken the win in the opening round of triple A-mains here at PYC. The Infinity driver could take advantage of his new tires to work his way passed Akio and then Nicholas, with a very nice pass down the inside. Akio’s race would implode early on as battling with very low traction he hit the curb coming onto the straight and went into the wall. This would pop off his shock and he would retire. Behind the top 2, Jin Sawada and Naoki Akiyama completed the top 4 after a very nice battle following an earlier incident that had dropped both down the order. Marc summed up his win as ‘so far so good’ the multiple WC admitting that he was on ‘new tires while the others were all on old’. Once passed Akio, he closed on Nico and made an ‘ok pass’ and now with the others needing to use their 3rd set of tires for the 2nd main, Marc will decide when to use his 3rd and final set of handout Sweep tires.

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March 30, 2019

Nicholas Lee breaks Sobue’s streak to TQ at PYC

Nicholas Lee has taken the TQ spot here at PYC having taken the 3rd and final round of qualifying by over 2 seconds. The result was a repeat of Q2 as the Yokomo driver again headed Sobue and Rheinard, giving the Singaporean his first pole position of the season and the first by anyone other than Akio. Jin Sawada, Meen Vejrak and Gary Huang all finished in the same place as they had in the Q2 and that would be how they start this afternoons 4-minute triple A-mains. ‘Finally Akio didn’t win every round’ was what a happy Nicholas Lee said when asked about his run. Running on new tires, he described the decision as last minute as Akio had also changed last minute and with the two of them in the hunt for the TQ, the Singaporean followed suit. Describing his BD9 as really good, he said ‘in the beginning it was close but by the end it was really good’.

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March 30, 2019

Akio Sobue takes opening qualifier at PYC

Akio Sobue has headed the opening round of qualifying at PYC for the penultimate round of the series in Hong Kong. The infinity driver made his way to the top of the times after his team mate Marc Rheinard had started strongly. The German faded near the end and was eventually passed by Yokomo’s Nicholas Lee who took 2nd for the round. Jin Sawada would make it 3 IF14s in the top 4, with Serpent driver Naoki Akiyama completing the top 5 some 8 seconds back from the pace setter. Newly crowned champion Sobue said ‘Rd1 was OK but too much steering, I almost spin’, explaining further that due to the rule of needing to clean your tires with brake cleaner before applying the handout Sweep additive had meant there was a lot more traction at the beginning. Once his car had run some minutes it improved and his car was ‘easier to drive’

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March 29, 2019

Von Elling & Norman take NTCC titles

Last weekend saw the final round of the North Swedish Touring Championship NTCC. In the Touring Car class, Marcus von Elling took the win from Linus Hollstrom 2nd and Alexander Wagstedt 3rd. Marcus also snatched the TQ spot and also the overall championship in front of Alexander Wagstedt and Linus Hollstrom. In the Formula class, Marcus von Elling won in front of Jorgen Wahlberg and Simon Fredrikssen. The championship was won by youngster Kevin Norman who took three victories out of the six races. 2nd place went to Jorgen Wahlberg in front of Anders Wagstedt in 3rd.

View the Formula podium here

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