Volker TQs opening Qualifier at 2010 Euros

Ronald Volker has carried his practice pace through to qualifying taking the opening round from defending champion Jilles Groskamp.  The Team Yokomo driver was happy to be fastest but was annoyed with himself for an early mistake when he carried too much speed and over shot the entry to the chicane costing him over 1 second.  Like many of the top drivers, the 2007 Champion felt the traction was off a little compared with this morning, most likely due to the opening ceremony which was held on the track after the completion of practice.  Happy with his BD5, last year’s Top Qualifier plans to run the same set-up again in the second round of qualifying which will bring Day 2 of the championships to a close.

Groskamp described his run as not so bad. The Dutch ace said over the opening laps his Team Orion powered Tamiya didn’t feel too good but as the run went on it got better and better, his fastest lap being his last one.  Encouraged at being able to reduce the gap to Volker, he said that having tried anti-dive for the round he will return to the normal set-up for the second qualifier this evening.  Making it the same Top 3 as we had after practice, TRF team-mate Elliot Harper set the third fastest time.  The young British driver said he had a pretty consistent run and was happy to open the event with a solid run.  Running Speed Passion electrics he felt his motor, which he had advanced for the round, lost power slightly near the end of the run as he hadn’t allow for the hotter conditions.  This effected his line off the narrow straight with his last lap being his slowest.  Elliot plans to reduce the timing for Q2.

Setting the fourth fastest factory Hot Bodies driver Andy Moore said his run was steady.  The former World & European Champion had a slight problem with understeer on his TCX in the slow chicane but was otherwise pretty happy with the car.  Team-mate Freddy Sudhoff made it two Hot Bodies in the Top ten, the German taking his TCX to the 10th fastest time.

‘Pushing like a truck’ was how Viktor Wilck described his run to the fifth.  On advice from his TRF team-mates the Swede changed the camber link set-up on his TRF416 but said it felt terrible and he will revert to his own set-up for Q2.  Finishing 1.1 seconds behind him was team-mate Marc Rheinard who continues to struggle with the set-up of his Speed Passion powered Tamiya.  Managing the sixth fastest time, the World Champion is very open about not liking the track here in France but also admits he is lost as to what to change to get the car to work.

Holding up local honours with a very solid opening run is Loic Jasmin.  Driving a Tamiya, the French National Champion said he felt there was a little less traction but it was a good clean run and he was pleased to start the championships with a Top 10 run.  Suffering a small amount of understeer he will try moving shock positions for his next outing.  Another French driver to make the Top 10 was Cyril N’Diaye.  Also at the controls of Tamiya he was ninth fastest behind Yannic Prumper.  The reigning European Junior Champion Prumper said his Yokomo was really good but a stupid mistake three laps from home, when he put the BD5 on its roof, had cost a lot of time.

Setting the 11th fastest time Britain’s Olly Jefferies was fastest of the Team Associated drivers, followed by 2007 Top Qualifier Steven Weiss and Alexander Hagberg who was best of the Xray team drivers.

Qualifying results after round 1
1. Ronald Volker (DE) – 15 Laps in 5:01.977
2. Jilles Groskamp (NL) – 15 Laps in 5:03.231
3. Elliott Harper (GB) – 15 Laps in 5:03.434
4. Andy Moore (GB) – 15 Laps in 5:04.029
5. Victor Wilck (SE) – 15 Laps in 5:04.600
6. Marc Rheinard (DE) – 15 Laps in 5:05.515
7. Loïc Jasmin (FR) – 15 Laps in 5:08.087
8. Yannick Preumper (DE) – 15 Laps in 5:09.213
9. Cyril N’Diaye (FR) – 15 Laps in 5:10.309
10.Frederic Sudhoff (DE) – 15 Laps in 5:11.184

Full results can be found here.

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