Orlowski top seed at MIBO International
Michal Orlowski is the top seed in Modified Touring Car at MIBO International, the Schumacher driver topping the times by just 0.002 of a second from reigning Champion Ronald Volker. With two rounds of seeding practice this morning, it was Volker who was fastest after the first but on the second both improved to set almost identical times over 3-consecutive laps, a larger 2/1oths of a second improvement from Orlowski meaning he will lead off the first of the 5 rounds of qualifying. Behind, it was the Xray of Jan Ratheisky who completed the Top 3 ahead of the Schumacher of Pekko Iivonen, Xray of Patrick Gollner and Yokomo of Christopker Krapp.
Racing a prototype of Schumacher’s up coming new electric touring car platform, Orlowski summed up his morning as ‘OK’ explaining he was still trying to figure out his tyre situation. Having broke in a set he was very happy with yesterday on inspection he spotted ‘a little tear’ on one of the tyres and so opted to change to a new set. Not happy with how that set felt, another set for the second timed practice proved better. In terms of his car, the Pole said, ‘the car is good as always’. The same car which he used to win the recent ETS Daun, he added, ‘I am running a similar set-up to what I normally use’.
‘I had a good 5-minute run which is the important thing so I am confident for Q1’, was how Volker summed up seeding adding, ‘to be only .002 behind Michal is not so bad’. Asked about changes to his Mugen Seiki MTC-2R, the German said, ‘I will make a minor change to make the car slightly more easy and hope I can have a good clean run’. On today’s track conditions, drivers running 5 rounds of free practice yesterday evening, Volker described them as being ‘more consistent today’.
Ratheisky was pleased with a combination of changes he made to his X4 for the final practice. Going from 2 to 3.5 degrees toe, 4.0 to 4.6 droop and 2.7 to 2.6 Springs, the German said the car is now safer in the rear meaning if he over pushes his driving he doesn’t lose the rear. For Q1 he plans one more change making the timing of his additive the same both front and rear having previously gone shorter on the rears. Asked about the track he replied, ‘I love it. It’s a really nice track, not too open and not too technical’.
Having made ‘a couple of changes’ this morning, Iivonen is pleased where his Schumacher is now at. Fitting a new set of the Rush 30 shore handout tyres today, the Finnish National Champion said, ‘straight away they felt quite good’. He continued, ‘My 5-minute pace looks super good. The car is super easy to drive’. Looking to Q1, the Finn said the only issue was that the ‘track is super dirty off the line’ but planning to keep on the clean racing line he is confident of a strong opening to qualifying, drivers count the best 3 of 5 to determine their starting position.
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