Lauter takes TITC TQ for Awesomatix
Simon Lauter is the Top Qualifier in the Open Brushless class at the TITC, the European Pro Stock Champion putting his Awesomatix team in strong contention for four wins in a row of the Bangkok race’s biggest class. With Lauter and Xray’s Adam Izsay taking one TQ a piece yesterday, it was Lauter who opened Day 2 with a TQ run in the 3rd round going 9/10ths of a second quicker than Izsay over the 5-minutes. Still all to play for in the fourth & final round, with the conditions ideal for the fastest run of the weekend, Lauter was even stronger in Q4. Setting the fastest lap of qualifying en-route to a third TQ run again ahead of his Hungarian rival, his advantage this time over 1.2-seconds. With the two rival manufacturers battling out for the coveted class TQ honours behind an impressive performance from Awesomatix driver Thomas Bemmerl will see him start third tomorrow with Louis Kretschmer making it an all European Top 4. Best of the rest Thailand’s Mongkolphan Lomrose will carry the hopes of a home win, the Open Brushless class having a tradition that the Champion can no longer contest the category.
‘I’m super happy. The first step is done’, was Lauter’s reaction to taking the TQ. He added, ‘I am happy also as a team with how qualifying went. Thomas (Bemmerl) was sensational getting Top 3 and Louis (Kretschmer) was also super good in the last one after bad luck in the previous two qualifiers’. Pointing out tyres and tyre strategy was the main thing in qualifying, he is looking forward to the finals saying, ‘I think it will be quite a good race tomorrow. It will be less about tyres strategy and more who can keep calm. Adam is in super form so I think it will be quite a good showdown.’
Asked about his second day of qualifying Izsay replied, ‘Q3 & 4 were clean rounds and I was able to lead in both but small mistakes meant I was not close enough at the end for the TQ.’ The Snowbirds Champion continued, ‘I start second tomorrow and I will try to overtake Simon.’ Asked about overtaking on the tricky RC Addict track he said, ‘the challenge will be not to flip if you push. In the finals thing are going to be harder because you are not going to be running on your own like in qualifier.’
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