Kobbevik & Kaerup on top after Q2 at MIBO International
It is the Scandinavian’s who lead the way after two rounds of qualifying at MIBO International with Norway’s Daniel Kobbevik (2WD) and Denmark’s Marcus Kaerup (4WD) topping the points table. In 2WD, qualifying opened with Kaerup’s Team Associated setting the fastest time from the Schumacher of Kobbevik but in the second of the 5 rounds a mistake from Kaerup handed Kobbevik a TQ that puts him top of the early ranking. Behind him a consistent Martin Bayer, 3rd fastest on both occasions holds the No.2 spot ahead of Kaerup. After a DNF in Q1 and P4 in Q2 Sworkz’s defending Champion Joern Neumann will be hoping for a better second half of the day. In 4WD, Kaerup also claimed the first TQ but a close finish to the second round saw the Sworkz of Czech driver Dominik Vlášek deny him a repeat while a strong finish from the top Sworkz in seeding netted Micha Widmaier a P3. Having topped seeding in both categories, that pace hasn’t transferred to qualifying for defending 4WD Champion Bartek Zalewski, the 18-year-old Xray driver not happy with his driving saying he is just making too many mistakes.
With his team-mate Orlowski opting not to race in Offroad having originally planned to race on both tracks here in Hrotovice this weekend, Kobbevik is actually racing both of the Polish ace’s buggies. Asked if their was a reason for this over running his own, the 20-year said he did the same thing last year and the results were good so he’s hoping for the same outcome this year. Travelling to the Milton Keynes British Off Road Grand Prix next week at least his own buggies are already ready for action there. Pleased with his 2WD performance saying ‘2nd and a TQ, you can’t ask for much better than that’, on 4WD he said he messed that one up himself in Q2. Second fastest in his first attempt having improved the feeling of his 4WD, he would make an early mistake on his second lap and lose 4-seconds eventually getting a P4. Looking to the next qualifier he said, ‘I will go again with the same car and try to get around without the mistakes this time.’
Pleased with his opening efforts, Kaerup said in Q2 of 2WD his ‘head exploded’ after he ‘rolled it over’ in the middle of the run with a second big mistake leaving him down the order. In 4WD, the former European Champion said the put in a clean first run to take the TQ and a after a ‘close battle with Vlášek’ in Q2 he just missed on a repeat adding he will be looking for an improvement from himself in Q3.
Having been to all three MIBO International races, Vlášek summed up his performance especially in 4WD as ‘good so far’, onlookers giving him a big cheer on taking the second qualifier ahead of Kaerup. After a mistake in the first 4WD qualifier he said a little set-up change made for a more consistent buggy over the 5-minutes and the aim is for more clean runs later today. Opening 2WD with a P4 he said at the second time of asking he just made mistakes every second lap and it was not a good run. He plans to try a different set-up for Q3.
