Rheinard quickest after 3 rounds of practice

Defending Champion Marc Rheinard is setting the pace here on the opening day of the IFMAR World Championship. The 23-year-old is fastest in all aspects recording the fastest lap time, the fastest five minute run and the quickest three consecutive laps which will be used to determine a reseed of the heats.  Tamiya are being very secretive about the 23-year-old’s Speed Passion powered car with the chassis being kept covered at all times.  Rheinard says the car feels OK but has the potential to be better but as a starting point he is happy with his current pace.

Setting the second fastest time over three laps is 2008 Vice World Champion Ronald Volker. The Yokomo team leader is 2/10th down on his fellow countryman but says his LRP powered BD5 feels difficult to drive.  Volker said while his pace so far is competitive he needs to find a way to get a little more steering on the car.  In terms of outright lap times Yokomo are also closest to Rheinard with Hayato Matsuzaki getting within 3/1000th of second.

Hot Bodies’ Atsushi Hara has been trying two cars each run but is having trouble with the faster of the two stripping spur gears after just 2 laps.  A more aggressive handling car, the 2000 World Champion said it is clearly faster but he needs to find a way to stop it from stripping gears.  The only driver in the Top 10 not to improve his time in P3, he is currently 3rd quickest with his time from the 2nd practice.

Shin Adachi is pleased with the start to his World Championship with the Kyosho team driver currently 4th fastest with the new TF6 chassis.  Responsible for the creation of the new car, the Japanese driver is really happy with the base set-up and will run it again focusing instead on tyre additive.  Interestingly Adachi is running a 2.5mm chassis while his young German team-mate Christopher Krapp has opted for a 2.0mm version.

Team Associated have had a decent morning with their new TC6 with Rick Hohwart setting the sixth fastest time.  The American says he is still learning the track each run but adapting Juho Levanen’s set-up for P3 he said it made for a big improvement.  Levanen took his example around the small technical track in the ninth fastest time.

Sandwiching Hohwart on the timesheets for now are Tamiya drivers Jilles Groskamp and Steen Graversen with the 5th and 7th fastest time.  Dane Graversen said his TRF416 has been getting better and better each run and when asked why replied with the quote of the day – ‘Old people just need more time to learn the track’.

Making his debut here for Team Yokomo, German teenager Yannic Prumper has got his new relationship with the Japanese company off to a good start recording the eight fastest time so far.  Tamiya’s Viktor Wilck rounds out the Top 10.

Top 10 after P3 (3 consecutive laps)
1. Marc Rheinard – 37.060
2. Ronald Volker – 37.222
3. Atsushi Hara – 37.239
4. Shin Adachi – 37.389
5. Jilles Groskamp – 37.478
6. Rick Hohwart – 37.562
7. Steen Graversen – 37.573
8. Yannic Pruemper – 37.582
9. Juho Levanen – 37.584
10.Viktor Wilck – 37.589

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