Ronnefalk takes eBuggy win at SIGP
Xray’s David Ronnefalk has won eBuggy at the SIGP in China, a 3-way battle for the overall victory & its more than €2,500 1st place prize money being decided in the third A-Main. Having secured the TQ on tie-break from Ronnefalk, Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro would take the opening win from his Swedish rival with the Sworkz of Nitro Buggy Top Qualifier Mattia Polito completing the Top 3. In A2 it would be Polito who came away with the win over Ronnefalk in a race that saw Ongaro and Bruno Coelho come together in mid air. This set the stage for an A3 showdown between Ongaro, Polito and Ronnefalk.
Initially it looked like it was the reigning European eBuggy Champion Ongaro who had it in the bag as the Italian pulled clear of No.2 starter Ronnefalk. With Coelho finding his way passed his team-mate, the Portuguese driver started to close down Ongaro forcing a mistake from the leader on lap 4 and allowing him to go to the front. From there Coelho controlled the race and, with no chance of the overall win himself after he failed to start A1 due to a loose steering servo mount, he would play the team game and allow his team-mate through into the lead. While a moment for Ronnefalk on the last lap had everyone on their feet, Coelho had him protected from his rivals as a very hard charging Ongaro tried to get back in touch until a mistake ended that effort. Talking A3 by half a second from Coelho with Polito a further 3/10ths back ahead of Ongaro, overall it was Ongaro who took the runner-up spot with Polito joining the two World Champions on the podium.
Reacting to his win, event organiser Sunpadow batteries putting up 20,000RMB (€2,617 approx) for each of the buggy class winners at the SIGP, Ronnefalk said, ‘I almost threw it away on the last lap hitting a hole in one of the jumps but before that Bruno had good speed and got by me on the second lap. I didn’t force anything too much because it was also good if he would put pressure on Davide which was needed if I was going to win. Davide ended up crashing and after that Bruno was leading in front of me and he let me go this time, I got the sensation of that at least. He had a small bobble but then he didn’t close the door or anything he just let me go and after that he didn’t try to overtake or anything cause his chances where already lost in eBuggy after the first two rounds. So thanks to him, he held off second there after a hard charging Davide towards the end but I am pleased to get the win in that one considering I was struggling a little bit with the traction towards the end of the race.’
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