Champion Rheinard opens 21st Reedy Race with win
Reigning Champion Marc Rheinard has opened the 21st running of the Reedy Race of Champions in the best way possible winning the opening race of the first round of racing at Tamiya Raceway in California. Starting on pole for the opening race, the Infinity driver took an easy win ahead of no.2 starter Viktor Wilck with Christopher Krapp moving up one place to complete the Top 3 ahead of Jilles Groskamp. Posting the fastest winning time of the 3 races, Rheinard was also the only driver to post an 11-second lap with the best lap of 11.958. Race 2 of the opening round would produce the best lead battle with Andy Moore coming under intense pressure from Infinity team-mate Akio Sobue but the pole sitter held on for the win despite the pair making contact a number of times. Behind Xray’s Jan Ratheisky completed the Top 3 from 5th on the grid. After a delayed started to Race 3, JJ Wang having an electrical issue that prevented the Xray driver who second fastest in practice yesterday from taking the start, it would be Ronald Volker who came out on top. Fastest in practice yesterday, the Yokomo driver started third behind team-mates Meen Vejrak and Nicholas Lee who was on pole. A great pass around the outside of Lee moved Volker up to second and that soon became the lead when Vejrak became the first casualty of the kink. Rick Hohwart would come through for second from P5 on the grid as Lee and Vejrak battled for third, Lee holding on for the position.
‘For sure a good start because after yesterday I was pretty worried for the first round’, was Rheinard’s reaction to what turned out to be an easy win. Chasing a 7th RROC title, he continued, ‘it was a pretty difficult heat with Viktor starting beside me and Chrissi behind me because he was quick in practice but I could feel from the start the car was working better than yesterday’. Making changes to the car’s PRS settings and also a diff change he said these gave the car ‘good corner speed’, adding ‘I’m happy with the car now, the pace is there and this was an important win’.
Making a return to the Reedy Race after a two year break, commenting on his win Moore said, ‘Having a front row start I knew it was likely to be a battle between me and Akio’. The former World Champion continued, ‘it was super loose but I held on and a win is a win. It is still cold and my set-up is not quite right for cooler conditions but it was fun to battle with Akio and he was fair when we touched. It was a good start to the weekend’.
‘A better start than usual, I have never had a win in the first round before’, was how Volker summed up his opening win. The World Champion went on, ‘I tried to take it easy at the beginning and was just following for the first 2 or 3 laps. Then I was able to get the lead and saw the others were in fights behind me so I took it easy to save tyres for the next one’. He continued, ‘it is still cold so it is tough in the beginning. It is similar to yesterday so my car is good and I will stick with for the next one’.
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