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October 27, 2018

Greiner to defend title from 4th in Miami

Dominic Greiner will defend his 1:10 200mm World title from 4th on the grid in Miami later this evening. Starting second in the Semi finals, the Serpent driver maintained that position behind pole man Naoto Matsukura to progress to the 1-hour main event at Homestead RC Raceway. In the first of the two Semi finals, it was Tadahiko Sahashi who took the win ahead of Jilles Groskamp and Kyle Branson. Starting from pole and holding an early lead, Andy Moore’s impressive campaign came undone when he lost the brakes on his car. After his demise, No.2 starter Shoki Takahata took control but after building up a lead the Mugen driver’s race faltered when he had the first of a number of flame outs. Flame outs also ended Vice-Champion Alessio Mazzeo’s event while former Champion Meen Vrejrak’s attempt at a second title ended when he had issues with wheels coming off his car. In the second of the 30-minute encounters, Matsukura led home Greiner by a comfortable gap of 4.7 seconds with Teemu Leino completing the Top 3. With their fourth & fifth place times the next fastest two times outside the Top 3 of both Semis, Jeff Hamon and Eduardo Escandon, both having bumped up from the 1/4 finals, complete the Top 10 that will battle to become the 1:10 200mm’s 8th World Champion. Unfortunately for former 1:8 World Champion Simon Kurzbuch there will be no repeat of the result as he came the second 2016 podium finisher to fall by the wayside in the Semis after suffering a number of flame outs.

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October 27, 2018

Ronald Volker to start from pole at ETS Rd1

Ronald Volker is the top qualifier for the opening round of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series having taken the final round of Qualifying. Set to start on pole position, Marc Rheinard will set off directly behind him while Alexander Hagberg, Bruno Coelho and Freddy Sudhoff complete the top 5. The German Yokomo driver commented, ‘Im very happy to get the overall TQ, it was tough going into Q4 as we all had similar speed’. Having made an adjustment on the rear diff for the final run he said the car felt the best it had done all day, ‘the balance was great so the car was quite easy to drive’. Volker also took the first points on offer, securing the bonus point for TQ, saying ‘we have the extra point and with that feeling going into tomorrow I’m very confident for the finals.’

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October 27, 2018

Mazzeo progresses to Semi Finals

1:10 200mm Vice-World Champion Alessio Mazzeo’s hopes of going one better this time around are still alive after the Italian won his 1/4 final to progress to the Semi Finals in Miami. Starting on pole for the 20-minute encounter, the Xray driver took victory over another Gubbio finalist Kyle Branson, the Capricorn finishing 4-seconds back. Setting the fastest lap of the race, 2010 Texas World Championship Finalist Shinnosuke Yokoyama completed the Top 3 to progress to the all important Semi’s which will determine who will join Top Qualifier Dario Balestri and Super Pole winner Robert Pietsch in the final. Significant names to end their quest in the first of the 1/4 Finals were 2010 World Champion Ralph Birch and 1:8 legend Lamberto Collari. Having bumped up from the 1/8 final Birch finished 6th after early contact with Yokoyama while Collari, having impressed by topping seeding on his 200mm World debut, had a crash that damaged a front arm leaving him to struggle to the finish in last position.

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October 27, 2018

Q1 goes to Ronald Volker

The opening round of qualifying for the new ETS season has been completed and it was Ronald Volker who emerged quickest in conditions that were looser than the night before. Top seed Bruno Coelho had a number of mistakes early in the run which let the Yokomo driver, who was starting second, passed. Following another big moment the World Champion pulled up to save the car. With Volker in front, the battle was for remaining spots with Alexander Hagberg finally taking the 2nd spot having swapped the position back and forth with Marc Rheinard who ended up 3rd, with Freddy Sudhoff and Akio Sobue completing the top 5. ‘Obviously I’m happy to TQ the first qualifier of the season’ said Volker, continuing ‘the track was different to yesterday, a bit more loose’. The German said his BD9 started to get looser as the run went on, causing him to lose 0.5 second on the 2nd last lap, which nearly cost him the TQ. For the next run he will work with his mechanic Hayato to try make the car more stable as well as reduce the power back to what he had in free practice.

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October 26, 2018

Pietsch wins Super Pole in Florida

Robert Pietsch has won Super Pole at the 200mm World Championship in Florida booking himself a direct spot on the grid for Saturday title deciding 1-hour final alongside Top Qualifier Dario Balestri. Qualifying 5th overall, the Mugen driver was first to go and his 17.762 lap was the final lap of 6 was to start. First to challenge the German was reigning Champion Dominic Greiner but suffering a mistake in the middle of his attempt his best lap was 0.122 slower. Andy Moore then stood up to the mark but the Q3 Top Qualifier couldn’t break 18-seconds leave him last of the three to run so far. Taking two rounds of qualifying including the last round, Naoto Matsukura was the final challenger to run but having won Super Pole on his 1:8 Worlds debut last year he it wasn’t going to be another direct A-Main debut for the 200mm rookie. Completing the 3-minute warm-up, the Japanese driver immediately complained of being unable to see as light faded at the Homestead RC Raceway but continuing to put in his 6-laps his best time came on lap 4 but it was 28/1000ths off Pietsch’s. Unfortunately for Pietsch after a short live celebration, an official protest by Matsukura to have Super Pole re-run meant official confirmation of the result was delayed by more than an 1-hour, IFMAR’s international jury unanimous in deciding the result would stand.

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October 25, 2018

Balestri is Top Qualifier in Miami

Dario Balestri is the Top Qualifier at the 1:10 200mm World Championship in Miami. The Infinity driver pulled off his third consecutive Worlds pole position in as many years with another TQ run in the penultimate round of qualifying. Having made a mistake in the day’s opening qualifier, the reigning 1:8 World Champion put in a perfect Q5 making 24-laps to top the times for a third time and deny team-mate Naoto Matsukura and Andy Moore the chance of a first nitro World’s TQ. Having taken the third round of qualifying, Moore had issues in the pits in his fifth run while a mistake from Matsukura while setting the TQ in front of Balestri ended his hopes and he ended up 5th for the round. It would be Dominic Greiner who was closest to Balestri but missing out on going 24-laps. Simon Kurzbuch would complete the Top 3, matching his surprise P3 in Q1, only this time the Shepherd driver took a more traditional route and made a fuel stop like everyone else during the 7-minute qualifier. Robert Pietsch made it four different manufacturers at the top for the round also equalling his best performance so far, while Mugen team-mate Shoki Takahata completed the Top 6.

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October 25, 2018

Matusukra opens Day 2 of qualifying with first TQ run

Naoto Matsukura has opened the second day of qualifying at the 1:10 20mm World Championships in Miami with a TQ run. Having opened qualifying with a P2 but having had issues in Q2 and 3 yesterday, the Infinity driver bounced back in the 4th round to top the times from team-mate Andy Moore. Continuing Infinity’s reign at the top of qualifying, Matsukura’s TQ is the first 24-lap run of the Homestead RC Raceway with his advantage over Moore over 2-second. Unfortunately having TQ’d the opening two rounds of qualifying and ending the day with a P2, Dario Balestri could not continue his form as he got his car hooked up in a corner board which cost him over 6-seconds. Third fastest would be Dominic Greiner, the reigning champion posting a new fastest pitstop of the weekend of 4.2-seconds as pitman Klaus Lechner bettered the previous record set in the heat before by Moore’s pitman Trin NungGai. The big improver of the Q4 would be Teemu Leino, the European Champion who had a best of a P10 from yesterday setting the fourth fastest time ahead of Tadahiko Sahashi and Francesco Tironi.

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October 25, 2018

Moore TQs third round at World Championships

Having impressed with a P2 in the second round of qualifying at the 200mm World Championships, Andy Moore went one better in Day 1 of qualifying’s final round to TQ Q3 ahead of reigning champion Dominic Greiner by 15/100ths of a second. Running the second fastest heat, the Infinity driver took advantage of the cooler track conditions to set the fastest time of the day bettering Dario Balestri’s best time from the opening two qualifiers by 3-seconds and just missing out on completing 28-laps of the Homestead RC Raceway. Third for the round would go to Balestri, the Italian having an impressive day to hold the overnight provisional TQ with two fastest runs and a P3. After problems in the opening two qualifiers, Robert Pietsch ended the day with P4 ahead of Tadahiko Sahashi with Francesco Tironi completing the Top 6.

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