Matsukura ends Day 1 of ABC qualifying with TQ run

Day 1 of qualifying at the Asian Buggy Championships season finale in Indonesia closed with Naoto Matsukura hitting the top of the time sheets.  With Infinity team-mate Kouki Kato taking Q1 as Matsukura found himself P7 after a costly last lap mistake, the No.2 seed made amends in the second of the 5-planned qualifiers to post the fastest 5-minute run so far ahead of the Sworkz of Christian Wolhuter, the young Aussie another driver to benefit from eliminating  driver errors.  Despite improving his Q1 time by 1-second Kato found himself P3 with the Japanese Champion feeling he didn’t have the right tyres for the condition of the last run of the day.  A close 2nd to Kato in the opening qualifier, Jason Nugroho would run the fourth fastest time despite suspected radio problems.  Seeding fourth fastest but not having a good Q1 attempt, Kyosho’s Rama Tribudiman completed the Top 5 with his second effort.

Changing to a softer compound tyre for Q2 having struggled with a low grip in the first round, Matsukura said he was much happier with his buggy which now had more steering and overall traction.  With this resulting in him being able to get his fastest lap back down in to the 40-seconds,  the Japanese driver feels there is potential for better to come as the run contained this two mistakes over the 5-minutes.  Looking to Q3, he said, ‘I think the first run in the morning will be a little dusty cause they water the track but we will start with the same car set-up and tyres’.

‘No mistakes this time, driver did ok this time, I’m very happy’, was Wolhunter’s reaction to finishing just 3/10ths off Matsukura.  He continued, ‘I ran the exact same set-up just without the mistakes and I was able to keep consistent.  It was a good battle between us two, unfortunate that I just couldn’t get there but I am very happy with the result’.  Looking to Day 2 of qualifying the 18-year-old said, ‘I’m happy with the set-up as it is now and I don’t think we need to make too many more adjustments on the car, it is just about still getting to know the track and the conditions and how they change over the day.  Q2 was a positive finish to today so I’m looking forward to the three rounds tomorrow.’

Describing his Q2 performance Kato sad, ‘It was good driving but the car is still a little bit loose in the rear so maybe tomorrow I change something.’  Asked if it was the change of track conditions or something else he replied, ‘I changed the car in the settings and it was not good so tomorrow I will change tyres.’  Influenced by his team-mate Matsukara going to a softer tyres and topping Q2, he will run the same softer compound as Matsukura for the 3rd of the 5 rounds.

Summing up his drive to P4 for the second of the 5 rounds, Nugroho said, ‘That was not great.’  The Jarkata driver continued, ‘As soon as I came out of the pit for the warm-up there was something wrong with my radio or steering servo.  I though it was maybe interference with poles (in the driver stand structure) but I lost steering and had to bring my car in and we reset the connection.  After that I moved to the left side of the drivers stand to be safe but the view was completely different and I had to readjust where I brake, how I turn, the line I choose so I was just trying hard to keep up the pace and not make any mistakes.’  Having had similar problem yesterday causing him to change both the steering servo and the receiver in his car, the Sworkz driver will now try to change the steering control module on his transmitter for Saturday’s second day of qualifying adding ‘hopefully tomorrow will go well.’