Matias tops first timed practice
Former European Champion Miguel Matias has topped the first timed practice here in Guarda, Portugal. The only Portuguese driver to win the 1:8 Off Road European title in its 30 year history the 2003 Champion recorded 8 laps in 5:06.051 which was just 6/10th quicker than Yannick Aigoin. Focusing on his engine and tyres for the opening run of Day 2, Matias ran AKA Crossbrace tyres on his RB powered Losi and plans to continue with the same tyre option for the second of today’s timed runs which will be used to reseed the heats for tomorrow’s qualifying. This is Portugal’s third time to host the EFRA run championship and Matias said his goal here this week is to try and become the first Portuguese driver to win it on home soil. Last year in Austria when driving for GS Racing, Matias was fastest in timed practice and carried the No.1 on his car in the top heat but his event ended in the 1/4 Finals.
Aigoin described his start to the day as fine. The French ace changed the geometry of the shocks on his Novarossi powered Losi but said it was hard to tell if they had made the car any better as track conditions this morning are very different to yesterday. Running Procircuit tyres, he tried the Marathon pattern which is designed for grippy conditions but the track was very loose so he plans to switch to the Spanish company’s SweetShot tyre for this evenings run.
Making it an early 1-2-3 at the top of the time sheets for Team Losi, Darren Bloomfield recorded the 3rd fastest time over the five minute run. The British driver focused on engines, changing the venturi on his Novarossi, and went for a more aggressive clutch. In the tyre department he switched to Losi XBT Red which he said made the car better over the bumps. Yesterday he ran a set of Eclipse which he said worked well on the flat but lacked on the bumpy areas.
Best of the Mugen drivers was Borja Hernadez who described his run as ‘much better than yesterday’. Having trouble with his engines the Spaniard ran a bigger venturi on his RB today which he said was much better. Asked about the car he said his MBX-6 is very consistent having opted to run AKA iBeams but he plans to try out Crossbrace next time out.
Jerome Aigoin leads the Kyosho challenge. The sole MP9 in the final last year the French driver said he was pleased with things for the moment having made no changes to the set-up since yesterday. Running AKA iBeam he said he will continue with them for now.
Robert Batlle completed the Top 6 and was best Associated driver. The 2007 Champion said he made the wrong tyre choice for the run choosing Proline’s Caliper M2, when M3 was the way to go. Just behind him was defending Renaud Savoya who also went with the wrong tyre choice. The factory Mugen driver said he wanted to try Proline’s Crimefighter M2, he did, and it didn’t work but ‘that’s what practice is for’. Savoya, who is running a Terex diff in the front of his MBX-6, adjusted the diff settings but didn’t like the feeling it gave and will go back to yesterday’s settings.
Kyosho’s David Ronnefalk set the eight fastest time with his Orion powered Kyosho followed by two of last year’s finalists Riccardo Rabitti and Martin Bayer who completed the Top 10 for Losi.
Top 10 after first timed practice
1. Miguel Matias (PT) – Losi/RB – 8 laps in 5:06.051
2. Yannick Aigoin (FR) – Losi/Novarossi – 8 laps in 5:06.667
3. Darren Bloomfield (GB) – Losi/Novarossi – 8 laps in 5:10.802
4. Borja Hernadez (ES) – Mugen/RB – 8 laps in 5:12.948
5. Jerome Aigoin (FR) – Kyosho/Novarossi – 8 laps in 5:13.423
6. Robert Batlle (ES) – Assocaited/Novarossi – 8 laps in 5:13.789
7. Renaud Savoya (FR) – Mugen/RB – 8 laps in 5:13.875
8. David Ronnefalk (SE) – Kyosho/Orion – 8 laps in 5:15.475
9. Riccardo Rabitti (IT) – Losi/Picco – 8 laps in 5:15.523
10.Martin Bayer (CZ) – Losi/Novarossi – 8 laps in 5:17.093
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