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.
Commenting immediately after taking the Super Pole, Pietsch said, ‘Its incredible. I can’t believe it. It’s unbelievable’. Having earlier said he felt not being the youngest of the drivers in Super Pole might go against him, he continued, ‘I knew from before that the track would be worse than the last qualifier for Super Pole because of the break. In Gubbio I also was the first to run and the conditions were super bad but I was hoping not many people had been walking on the track so it would be good. In my Warm-up it all felt good and then once I got some 17-second laps I knew I had a chance and for the last lap I kept on the throttle at the loop. I’m so happy’.
Speaking prior to his protest, a very frustrated Matsukura said, ‘It is not fair. I can’t see. It was too dark I can’t see especially at the sweeper’. Repeatedly shouting from the driver’s stand that he could not see during his timed laps, the Infinity driver concluded, ‘I’m not happy, this is not fair’, before setting about protesting the conditions most drivers and onlookers agreeing the timing of Super Pole was not ideal given how quickly the sun sets in Florida.
Greiner summed up his effort by saying, ‘It was difficult. I don’t know why but the balance was different again from the last qualifier’. Only managing two 17-second laps and making a mistake on his 4th attempt, the Serpent driver continued, ‘I was also nervous so my fastest lap was not perfect’. Missing the Super Pole in Gubbio but going on to win from P3 on the grid, he said, ‘maybe this is a repeat and sometimes it is not a bad to to run the Semi Final’. He will start 2nd on the grid for his Semi behind Matsukura.
After an impressive qualifying performance, on Super Pole Moore said, ‘It was just too dark and the track changed too much’. The Infinity driver added, ‘the track cooled down too much and my car was way too stable plus it was difficult to see at the end of the straight especially the sweeper’. The British driver will now vie for his second 200mm Main start from pole in the Even Semi final.
View the complete event results here.
View our event image gallery here.
