Kutvonen takes final qualifier
Viljami Kutvonen has TQ’d the final round of qualifying at the DHI Cup. The result secures the Awesomatix driver 2nd on the grid behind Top Qualifier Ronald Volker, the defending champion having wrapped up pole position with a third TQ run in the previous round. While Volker would make two mistakes as he used Q4 to test a set-up for the finals, Kutvonen topped the times posting the second fastest time of qualifying with a 6/10ths of a second advantage over Alexander Hagberg. Hagberg as a result will start tomorrow’s three A-Main encounters from third on the grid ahead of 2013 Champion Adrian Berntsen. Making the trip to the famous Danish event for the first time, a somewhat frustrated Bruno Coelho completes the top half of the grid.
‘It was good, just liked I planned it’, that was Kutvonen’s response to delivering a TQ run. The 2014 runner-up said reverting back to his Q2 set-up along with running stiffer flex settings on his LRP powered A800 left the car ‘unbelievably good’. Planning to leave the car unchanged for A1, the Finnish driver is confident ‘the car is good enough to battle with Ronald tomorrow’ for the win.
Commenting on what was essentially a 5-minute test for the finals, Volker said the changes made to his BD7 ‘made it very easy to drive’ but the car suffered from understeer. Catching a dot sending the car into a roll just after the first minute mark, Volker said he then drove over the limit trying to make back the time. Getting back on the TQ pace with the fastest lap of the weekend he would make a second mistake with four laps to go leaving him to end up P3. Looking to the finals, he will go back to his Q3 set-up.
‘I thought I drove really well but I was still slightly off the pace’, was Hagberg’s reaction to performance, Q4 his fastest qualifier. The Xray driver said, ‘Ronald and Viljami have faster cars and we have to find something for tomorrow if we are going to be able to compete with them in the finals’.
Having shown promise in practice when he debuted new Danish manufacturer Gizmo’s GZ-1 at the ETS season opener in December, Adrian Berntsen gave the team reason to celebrate as he secured 4th on the grid. One of the company’s co-founders Martin Lissau, a former 1:5 World Champion, said they were ‘very happy’ to be so well placed on the DHI Cup A-Main grid with the result showing they have a good idea in the car design. The Dane went on to explain that the high traction this weekend is not something they have been able to experience before so it has added to the learning curve. Asked about Berntsen’s final qualifier he said fitting a new bearing set from a different manufacturer to the car for the heat they tightened up as the race went on slowing their star driver. With Steen Graversen making up arm set-up changes to the car prior to bearing issue Berntsen was ‘quite happy’ with the feeling of the car.
A driver who many expected to put Volker’s quest for a 7th DHI Cup under treat this weekend, Coelho himself was miffed by his lack of pace. Having tried three different bodyshells, the set-up of Hagberg, Cerny and Hudy but with no improvement the World Championship runner-up said the problem had to be down to a bad set of tyres. While drivers get two sets of tyres for the weekend, Coelho said the tyres improve with each run and while he has a second set they are not going to solve his problems as they have no running on them and are there going to be even slower. He said while his T4 is drivable it has no traction compared to his rivals. Starting behind Coelho will be Xray team-mate Marek Cerny followed by Yokomo’s Meen Vejrak. The grid is completed by Serpent’s Marc Fischer, Schumacher’s Elliot Harper and young Japanese talent Naoki Akiyama. Former Champion, his 2008 win launching his international racing career, Viktor Wilck finds himself with the unenviable BQ honours at this year’s event.
In Super Stock, Kyosho driver Tim Benson gave the Japanese manufacturer’s new TF7 it first international race honour. Debuting the car at the ETS season opener but the event proving ‘tough’, in Odense the German was on the pace from the start setting the pace in practice. Carrying that through to qualifying he would TQ’d the opening qualifier but TQ runs for Xray’s Jan Ratheisky and Marek Cerny in Q2 & 3, meant it was all to play for in the final round. Recovering from his set backs in the 2nd & 3rd round, Benson would deliver in style in the final round to TQ with the only 23-lap run of the weekend. Behind Benson, it is reigning champion Cerny who will start second followed by 2015 podium finishers Ratheisky and Mike Gosvig. Awesomatix driver Tony Streit completes the Top 5 line-up.
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