Volker top seed at TITC
Ronald Volker is the top seed going into qualifying at the TITC, the Mugen Seiki driver fastest over 3-laps from defending Champion Bruno Coelho. With just a single round of seeding practice determining the heats for the four rounds of qualifying, most drivers completed the minimum laps possible needed to secure a place in the top while also saving tyres. Running in the second fastest practice heat due to his B-Final appearance at last year’s event, Volker took two goes at setting a time. It was his second 3-consecutive laps that counted with him fastest by 16/100th of a second over Coelho, the Xray driver making just one attempt to post a time. One of the few drivers to run the entire 5-minutes along with team-mate Akio Sobue, Axon’s Hayato Ishioka set the third fastest time with 2-time TITC winner Sobue ending up 7th. Infinity’s Naoto Matsukura posted the fourth fastest time ahead of the Awesomatix pairing of Lucas Urbain and Marc Rheinard.
Describing his current form as ‘so far the best TITC I’ve had at RC Addict ever’, Volker added, ‘I was a bit nervous about just getting 3-laps in. It was the only seeding run we get so there was always a chance something might go wrong and you are not in the top’. Explaining that this year’s new layout means the track’s bumps are more of an issue he said that during the early days of practice it was chaos with cars flying off the track, he himself destroying two body shells. Using a new compound Sweep tyre this year, grip is very high with most drivers battling traction roll something that is exacerbated when you add in the bumps. While fastest over 3-laps, Volker said his MTC2R has been fast all week and that is something he is quick to attribute to Robert Pietsch, his mechanic this week and the designer of the car. ‘Last year I really struggled to get the car to work and even though I worked hard for the B Main I still struggled. Robert is able to think out of the box and has prepared a great car for me. I am very happy with how it is working but I know there is a long way to get and I know with this event it is difficult to judge how it will go’.
Coelho said, ‘Overall we are 2nd so I am happy for now. I knew I need to make no mistakes to make sure I would be in the Top 10. I did just 3-laps because I might need the tyres later in the race. The car was trying to flip as the traction was high but I’m sure it was the same for all.’ Asked about the tyre, the World Champion said, ‘the tyre doesn’t drop off too much over the 5-minutes but it has way to much grip for the conditions. I think they should go a little harder next year.’ Chasing a record equaling fourth TITC win this weekend, asked about his 5-minute pace for qualifying, the opening two rounds making up Friday’s schedule after a round of free practice, Coelho replied, ‘I am pretty confident for the 5-minutes tomorrow.’
Finishing on the podium last year, Ishioka described this year’s track as ‘super technical’ and while he welcomed this year’s tyre and the fact each driver gets to glue their own sets, he said they offer a ‘little to much grip’. On his new TC10/3 chassis, the World Championship finalist described the car as ‘working well’ and for tomorrow he will start out qualifying with an unchanged set-up.
Matsukura was pleased with his run to the fourth fastest time having struggled earlier with traction roll. The former World Champion for whom the TITC title has evaded him, described his car as feeling a ‘little bouncy’ to drive and while he was able to improve it between the final practice and the seeding round he believes qualifying will be challenging. ‘5-minutes will be difficult for me so I will try to make no mistakes and get points. I think many drivers will have mistakes so if I can keep my run clean I should be able to collect good points.’ Another to pull up in the seeding round to safe tyres, drivers having to use one of their 5-race allocated sets in seeding, he said, ‘We have a practice round in the morning so we will use this to how car is now working over 5-minutes’.
‘OK I guess’, was Urbain’s reaction to his seeding effort. His first international event as a full time professional driver and only his second TITC, he said, ‘To be honest, for 2 or 3 days of practice it was really good but today it’s a lot worse and I have less grip. This shows my lack of experience of this race.’ The French driver continued, ‘3-laps is OK but 5-minutes is not great. The balance shifts to a lot of understeer at the end of the runs. Seeding I am where I wanted but Marc is much faster over 5-minutes which is not ideal when he is starting behind. Anyway tomorrow is another day.’
Playing a waiting game to start his 3-laps, Rheinard explained, ‘I waited 1 minute 30 to start my run as I knew everyone was going to stop early and that would give me a more calm track to get in a good clean 3-laps.’ Asked how he felt his three laps went the multiple World Champion replied, ‘I was up on two wheels a few times.’ Asked about his pace over a complete run, he said, ‘the run before it was pretty good over the 5-minutes but the track changes everyday so you never know. I’m happy to be in the top heat and I’m confident for a 5-minute run’.
View our event image gallery here.