Pietsch holds provisional TQ in Miami

Robert Pietsch holds provisional TQ honours for the 2011 IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championships at the end of the first day of qualifying.  The German was fastest in both the rounds that made up today’s schedule but it was his Q1 time that puts him top of the ranking ahead of Dario Balestri, Atsushi Hara and Takaaki Shimo.

Top Qualifier at the last World Championships, Pietsch had an incident filled Q2 but said a faster time was never going to be possible as the warmer conditions made for a slower track.  Pushing much harder than in the morning, the Mugen designer was able to improve his outright lap time to claim the fastest lap of the round.  Facing a lot of traffic due to his lower starting order for the round Pietsch had a coming together with Italy’s Andrea Cristiani on lap 9 and then again when he braked too late during his first pitstop.  Missing his box this led to his pitman placing the car back out on top of Cristiani’s Serpent costing both drivers valuable seconds.

Setting the second fastest time, Daniele Ielasi was one of the few drivers to improve his time in Q2.  The Italian looked to be on target to take the round but in the final three minutes he encountered a clutch problem on his Picco powered Shepherd which dropped him back behind Pietsch and cost him a 37-lap run that would have put him in the elusive Top 4.  Ielasi, who ends the day fifth, said while the track conditions were not as good as the morning his car felt better and is very confident he can now make the Top 4 tomorrow.

Despite spinning his OS Speed powered Mugen as he put a pass on former World Championship Top Qualifier Massimo Fantini, Atsushi Hara was third fastest in Q2.  The spin cost the former 1:8 Offroad World Champion over 2 seconds and he missed out on making 37 laps but the 1:8 Onroad debutant still sits a very impressive 3rd overall.

Separating the Mugen’s of Pietsch and Hara in the overall ranking is Dario Balestri.  Second fastest in Q1 the Capricorn driver gambled on a harder shore tyre for his second outing but it was the wrong decision.

Having made changes he thought would better suit his Kyosho for the warmer track conditions Takaaki Shimo said they didn’t have the desired effect and his Evolva was very loose.  The Japanese driver was still able to post the fourth fastest time but was unable to better his morning time which puts the 2008 Finalist provisionally in the final direct qualifiers position.

Having driven poorly in the opening qualifier Paolo Morganti said he was better this time but the track was nowhere as fast as Q1.  Setting the fifth fastest time for Q2 he lies 7th overall as the Top Serpent and leading American.

Chasing his 10th World title here at Homestead RC Raceway, 1:8 Onroad legend Lamberto Collari has not had a good start to his campaign.  Failing to finish the first qualifier, he did manage to complete the second with just a single fuel stop but the end result was quite a bit off the pace.

Due to the tyre additive scandal that caused the first day of qualifying to be cancelled, drivers have just 2 more chances tomorrow to post a quick time.  Tomorrow’s running order is Group 4 to 1 followed by 13 to 5 for Q3 and then in the afternoon for the final round Group 4-1 followed by 5 to 13.

Qualification Ranking after 2 of 4 Rounds
1. Pietsch, Robert (D) – Mugen/Novarossi – 37L/10:12.769 R1
2. Balestri, Dario (IT) – Capricorn/Novarossi – 37L/10:14.446 R1
3. Hara, Atsushi (JPN) – Mugen/OS Speed – 37L/10:19.342 R1
4. Shimo, Takaaki (JPN) – Kyosho/OS Speed – 36L/10:00.085 R1
——————-
5. Ielasi, Daniele (IT) – Shepherd/Picco – 36L/10:00.890 R2
6. Terauchi, Takehiro (JPN) – Mugen/Novarossi – 36L/10:01.206 R1
7. Morganti, Paolo (USA) – Serpent/Novarossi – 36L/10:02.815 R1
8. Romagnoli, Michele (IT) – Shepherd/Novarossi – 36L/10:04.437 R1
9. Verjak, Meen (THA) – Mugen/Novarossi – 36L/10:04.739 R1
10.Salemi, Walter (IT) – Motonica/Max – 36/10:04.889 R2
11.Shimazaki, Shinya (JPN) – Mugen/Novarossi – 36L/10:05.307 R1
12.Salven, Michael (D) – Serpent/Xceed – 36L/10:05.691 R2
13.Fukuda, Keisuke (JPN) – Mugen/Novarossi – 36L/10:06.490 R1
14.Vrielijnck, Rick (NL) – Mugen/Novarossi – 36L/10:06.710 R1
15.Elias, Flavio (BRA) – Mugen/Max – 36L/10:07.048 R1
16.Cyrul, Josh (USA) – Shepherd/OS Speed – 36L/10:07.384 R2
17.D’Hondt, Robin (BEL) – Motonica/G-mar – 36L/10:07.828 R1
18.Pirani, Andrea (IT) – Shepherd/Novarossi – 36L/10:08.615 R2

View our event image gallery here.