August 28, 2022

Greiner takes ENS title with season finale victory

Dominic Greiner’s winning streak continued this weekend as the factory Capricorn driver added the ENS title to his tally with victory at Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.  Qualifying 3rd for the fourth & final round of the series, Greiner would added his second win of the season with a very close victory over title rival Simon Kurzbuch (Shepherd).  Both would end the 1:8 series standings on equal points but with 2 wins compared to Kurzbuch’s single victory at ENS Germany, it was Greiner who takes the championship to add to the European and German National title he lifted over the previous two weekends. With the Top 2 separated by 7/10th of a second, the podium in Apeldoorn was completed by Top Qualifier Toni Gruber (Shepherd) who finishes the season 3rd in the standings.  In 1:10, and with the title having already been decided, it was a victory lap weekend for new Champion Jilles Groskamp (Infinity) as he took the win from pole position ahead of the only other winner this season Melvin Diekmann (Capricorn).  Milan Holthuis (Infinity) completed the Round 4 podium, the podium order the same as how the drivers ended up in the final championship standings.

Image: ENS [eurorcseries.com]


August 27, 2022

Groskamp & Gruber secure TQ at ENS Finale

Apeldoorn in the Netherlands is the host of the season finale of the Euro Nitro Series this weekend and it is home hero Jilles Groskamp who has secured the TQ in 1:10 while Toni Gruber is the Top Qualifier in 1:8. Round 4 of the series is a track favourite among drivers and Groskamp put his year’s of local knowledge to good use to top all four rounds of qualifying.  Behind the factory Infinity driver and 2022 Champion it’s another Dutchman with Milan Holthuis second after going second fastest in Q1 & 2. Making it an Infinity 1,2,3, former champion Teemu Leino will start 3rd. Next up is a Capricorn quartet with Tim Benson fourth ahead of Quentin Leroux, Melvin Diekmann and former European Champion Dirk Wischnewski. In 1:8, both Gruber and former World Champion Simon Kurzbuch had two TQ runs a piece but Gruber’s Q4 time was the fastest of the two Shepherd team-mates giving him pole for tomorrow’s final.  Behind them newly crowned European & German National Champion Dominic Greiner will start 3rd for Capricorn followed by Lars Hoppe, Steven Cypers and Timo Schroder.

Image: ENS [eurorcseries.com]


August 22, 2022

Greiner adds German Nationals silverware

On the back of his second European Championship title victory last weekend, Dominic Greiner added to his 2022 silverware collection with victory at the German 1:8 Onroad National Championships.  The factory Capricorn driver took victory at the well known Ettlingen track ahead of Top Qualifier Toni Gruber, the Shepherd driver setting the fastest qualifying time in the 3rd of the 4 qualifier.  Greiner would set his fastest time in first of his attempts, the time almost 3-seconds off Gruber’s pace.  Setting the fastest lap of the 40-minute final, Greiner took the chequered flag with over a lap of an advantage over Guber with Shepherd team-mate Lars Hoppe completing the podium ahead of the Serpent of Merlin Depta.

Image: Lars Hoppe [facebook]


August 21, 2022

Boots lifts British Championship with season finale win

Elliott Boots is the 2022 1:8 Offroad British National Champion, the Sworkz/Reds factory driver lifting the title in style with victory at the season finale held at Nemo Raceway.  Last year’s championship runner-up, Boots came into the weekend with wins from the opening two rounds of the 5 round championship.  Setting the fastest time in 4 of the 5 qualifiers, the former European Champion would secure the overall TQ ahead of the Agama of Lee Martin and the Mugen of Round 4 winner Jamie Clancy.  Winning his Semi from Clancy, Boots would start on pole for the 45-minute final eventually coming out on top having lapped all his rivals.  Martin would come home second with Clancy completing the podium.  The other of the championship’s race winners, taking the win at Round 3 in Brookthorpe, defending champion Jonathan Skidmore had a disappointing finale finishing sixth which was good enough for the runner-up’s spot in the final standings ahead of Clancy and Martin.

Image: Elliott Boots [facebook]


August 15, 2022

Ronnefalk takes first ‘Mayako’ Swedish National title

David Ronnefalk winning the Swedish National Championships has become a bit of annual tradition, his record of wins speaks for itself, but his latest national titles mark the first with Mayako.  Joining the offroad newcomers last December after a long stint with HB Racing and Kyosho before that, Ronnefalk took both the nitro ad EP titles over the weekend at Hässleholm RC Club situated in the South of the country.  With EP Buggy contested over a Reedy Race format, he would win all six encounters to claim the electric title for the 21st time.  Securing the TQ in Nitro, the newly crowned European Champion would win the 1 hour final by only less than half a lap from Hampus Berg for title number 20. Victor Gunnarsson would finish third to make it an all Mayako podium.

Source: David Ronnefalk [facebook]


August 13, 2022

Greiner adds 1:8 title for European Championship double

Having lifted the 1:10 IC Onroad European title in Italy just two weeks ago, Dominic Greiner has done the nitro onroad double this evening with a late victory at the 1:8 European Championship in Spain.  Lining up third on the grid for the 45 minute rain delayed final at the Almussafes track, Greiner did not look a contender for the victory in the early stages of the race.  Contact on the opening lap dropped him to seventh and soon after the German was bringing up the rear of the field in 10th position.  Greiner wasn’t the only one to have a moment early on as Top Qualifier and defending champion Dario Balestri dropped from the lead to third about 1-minute into the encounter.  This left Super Pole winner Robert Pietsch and up & coming French talent Maxine Ripoll contending the lead.  Working his way back through the order, Greiner was back in podium contention in the later part of the race.  With one & half minutes remaining on the clock he then made a move down the inside of leader Pietsch, contact sending the Mugen driver on to the grass.  Greiner would continue un-intruded to take his Capricorn to victory to add a first 1:8 title to his 1:10 World and two European championship titles.  Almost 2-seconds back Pietsch would finish second with a great drive by Ripoll being rewarded with third on the podium and the title of Junior European Champion.  Despite setting the fastest lap of the race, it wasn’t to be Balestri’s day as he had to settle for fourth after losing his podium spot to Ripoll with less than 4-minute to go.

Image: EFRA [efra.ws]


August 12, 2022

Balestri takes TQ at 1:8 Onroad European Championship

Reigning 1:8 Onroad European Champion Dario Balestri will start the defence of his title from pole after he secured the overall TQ in Spain today.  After a 2 year forced break, the European Championship returned to Almussafes near Valencia, the track having previously held the championships in 2008. On that occasion Jernej Vuga took a dramatic last last victory when leader for much of the race Daniele Ielasi crashed three corners from the finish due to a flat receiver battery.  Heading the Infinity team charge, Balestri opened qualifying yesterday with a TQ run but former champion Robert Pietsch was fastest in Q2 meaning they shared the provisional overnight TQ.  Opening a very hot second day of qualifying, it hitting almost 40 degrees, Balestri was back on top in Q3, as his Mugen rival posted the 3rd fastest time.  The Italian then secured Top Qualifier honours when he again set the pace in the penultimate round.  While it was job done for Balestri, it didn’t deter the former World Champion from making it four TQs out of 5 rounds in the final qualifier.  Behind Pietsch in second in the final quali standings, two P2 runs gave Shepherd’s Simon Kurzbuch third, followed by Capricorn’s Dominic Greiner and Shepherd’s Toni Gruber, all four getting to shoot it out for a direct place in the Main final beside Balestri.  With each driver getting 6 laps to set a time, that battle went to Pietsch for posting the fastest lap on his final attempt to knock Gruber, who was first to set a time, off the top spot.

Image: EFRA [efra.ws]


August 8, 2022

Kilic brothers 1-2 at German Buggy Nationals

The 1:8 Nitro Buggy German Nationals saw a dominant performance from the Kilic brothers over the weekend with the older of the two, Burak, taking the title from Berkan.  Travelling to the northeastern part of the country to championship hosts Modellclub Schwedt, the Mugen team drivers stamped their authority on the event taking all five qualifiers.  Managing 3 TQ runs it was Berkan who came out as Top Qualifier from Burak with Sworkz’ Joern Nuemann best of the rest in third.  In the final it was Burak who would take the win for the popular brothers 1-2 finish with an impressive drive from Max Hesse netting him a podium finish.  Forced to miss the first two days of the events, the Sworkz driver started last of the 64 entries before clocking up 5 finals en route to a well earned podium ahead of Marcel Kruger and Neumann.

Source – Kilic Brothers RC [facebook.com]