Prumper tops opening practice at DHI Cup
Yannic Prumper topped the opening round of timed practice at the 15th running of DHI Cup in Denmark. The Team Yokomo driver headed a very closely matched Top 6 over 3-consecutive laps with Serpent’s Marc Fischer second fastest just 0.054 off his fellow German’s pace. Defending champion Ronald Volker, who is chasing a sixth DHI Cup title this weekend, completed the Top 3 with his Yokomo just 0.003 off Fischer.
Having posted only the 7th fastest time in free practice, Prumper put his improvement down to a bodyshell switch and a change of tyres. Without his regular mechanic Toni Rheinard, the 21-year-old went from Protoform’s Speed 6 to LTC-R bodyshell which together with fitting a new set of the event’s controlled LRP tyre gave him more steering. Happy with how his BD7 is running now he plans to run the car unchanged for the final practice.
Finishing free practice just one place ahead of Prumper, Fischer also attributed his improved form down to changing to a new set of tyres. Describing the second set as ‘much better’, for the final practice he plans to run softer shocks on his S411 to see if it improves the car over the bumps caused by cable tunnelling underneath the track. While he described the track layout as ‘a little boring’, he added the that ‘it is good that everyone is so close’.
Volker, who has made carpet racing somewhat boring due to his domination of events, described the practice as being ‘super close between a lot of drivers’. The ETS & European Champion was very happy with his 5-minute pace but added that they need to make some small changes to his LRP powered BD7 to make it a little easier to drive which would allow him to push just a little harder.
Making his debut for HB, Freddy Sudhoff was very happy with his early pace. Setting the fourth fastest time, he ‘thought it was a pretty good start’ with his new car. The former Awesomatix driver said the nature of the shaft driven Russian car meant he had to drive it more aggressively through corners than a belt car and he thought this was going to affect his performance this weekend but the track layout requires even a belt car like his new PRO5 to being driven hard and that’s helping with the switch. Overall he said the basic set-up of the new car is really good and he is pleased to be in the mix so early on in his first race with it.
Setting the 5th fastest time, Alexander Hagberg declared himself content with his early form describing the leading times as ‘very close’. The Xray driver, said they were still working on a ‘couple of details’ on the T4 set-up and everything should be fine come qualifying.
Completing the Top 6 was Awesomatix’ now lead driver Vijami Kutvonen. The Finn who was runner up to Volker here last year, said he is just really waiting for the traction to come-up. With the bumps an issue for most drivers, for the first timed practice he fitted a top deck to his A700 which he said improved the impact the bumps had on the car alot.
Last years other podium finisher Marc Rheinard would top free practice but could only manage 8th behind Martin Lissau in the first timed run. Very happy with the stability of his TRF419 in free practice he said having started out good the car was ‘now not so good’. ‘Sliding all over the place’ he said having done nothing to the car between the two runs he hopes that a fresh set of tyres for the closing practice run will return the car to how it was earlier.
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