Kaerup locks up early TQ in Australia with 3 from 3

Team Associated’s Marcus Kaerup has locked up an early overall TQ at the IFMAR 1:10 2WD Buggy World Championships in Sydney, the Dane taking a clean sweep of the opening 3 rounds of qualifying to secure his second WC Top Qualifier honours in the space of a month.  Fresh from his 1:8 eBuggy World Championship win in Portugal, once the 17-year-old found his rhythm on the Hills RC Off Road track yesterday he has been pretty much untouchable topping seeding and today carrying that momentum into qualifying.  While Davey Batta signalled he might give his team-mate a run for his money and keep the fight for the TQ going, it wasn’t to be as the American ran out of tyres in Q3.  In the end it was a rejuvenated Spencer Rivkin who would end up Kaerup’s closest challenger, the pair the first to go 12-laps over the 5-minutes however running in the second fastest heat Rivkin, thinking his run was done, stopped on his last lap before realising him mistake but he lost almost 4-seconds – Kaerup beating his time by 3.5-seconds.  The second fastest heat would again see some impressive times with Schumacher pairing Broc Champlin and Daniel Kobbevik again setting the 3rd and 4th fastest time respectively.  Reigning British Champion Tommy Hall enjoyed a strong Q3 breaking into the Top 10 for the first time with a P5 ahead of Batta.

Asked about his pole position securing run, Kaerup said, ‘It was really good.  We made some changes to the car and on the warm-up lap I could just feel they were just the right things to do.’  Not wanting to disclose the changes made, saying they were small, he added, ‘I knew after I crossed the line for the 12-lap I knew it was going to be the TQ cause unfortunately Spencer pulled off.  Also this run I wasn’t really nervous,  I just had the confidence to push all out.’  Asked what his plan is for the remaining two qualifiers, one left to conclude today’s action and one tomorrow morning ahead of the triple finals, he said, ‘probably scrub some tyres and run in a new ball diff.’

With Rivkin ruing his mistake, he said, ‘My car felt the best it has been, but on my driving I need to be a little more laser focused out there towards the end of the run and a little better with my race craft.  I wish the announcing was a little bit different with all the commotion the commentating speaker was a bit confusing but there’s no one to blame but myself.  That was my best point so we’ll just keep moving forward, it’s definitely not over and we are just getting started here.’  Asked what improvements he found for his car for Q3, he replied, ‘Honestly I have really just been working and getting some advice from my team-mates Davey and Aydin, working off what those have been running so far.  I started with what I had been running the last two times I have been to Australia and I actually was the only one starting with the stuff that I was starting with, everyone made some huge changes before they even got here and I was like I am just going to stick to my guns.  My ego just got a little too big maybe and I should of maybe pivoted but I thought I made the right call, I really wish I had done it a little bit earlier but I think I am starting to peak more at the right time.  There is two more runs obviously and I am really excited for the next run.’

Asked about his Q3 Champlin said, ‘I started out just mediocre and then was able to find a groove.’  He explained, ‘I keep making some set-up changes that I would normally run in America and these keep benefiting me in a way.  I found a groove and was pretty quick at the end, I just lost so much time off the start.’  Asked about that time lost at the start, the 23-year-old said, ‘I think a lot of it is just me.  I always have a tendency for the last few years to just roll into the races and try be there at the end but it’s really difficult to do that when your racing in the B sort cause then your not setting a high enough mark for the A sort and you are just trying to win the heat, so yeah I just roll in too easy and try stay in it and the last minute give everything I have and end up just slightly off because I was fast enough to start.’  Recording a P9 in Q1, Champlin explained, ‘That was the run I decided I was just going to change a bunch of stuff and go in my own direction with set-up, and then in Q2 I worked with that set-up a little bit and that was a 3 (for the round).’  With two 3s, he said he will keep working with the set-up saying ‘I have specifically made a ton of improvements with my shock package and I feel I went one way that as too stiff and then went back the other way too soft so going back in between I’ll give it everything it has.’  With this the reigning US Carpet National Champion’s first time to the Hills RC Off Road track, asked his thoughts on it he said, ‘It fun, its different.  We don’t have any of this stuff in States, so it’s a joy to race outside, the facility is amazing and then we are in Jurassic Park essentially with all the wildlife which is pretty cool.’

‘A 3, 4, 4 should lock me into the final, all three runs barely any mistakes and pushing hard’, was how Kobbevik reacted after his latest qualifier.  The Norwegian added, ‘but I want to get more steering and try to get the top spots as well.  I hope their is room for improvement.’  Asked about track conditions, he replied, ‘It is more and more grippy.  It feels a bit like astro turf now, the grip is so high now you are a bit afraid to traction roll, I have seen some cars do it, so you need to be a bit careful as well.’

Having really impressed in the opening two qualifiers, asked about his third run Batta said, ‘I think I went out on too old of a rear tyre.  I thought the grip was high enough to run a little bit of slick and that was not the case.’  With his TQ challenge gone, the 20-year-old said the goal now was to try ‘lock in the P2’ adding ‘Spencer had a good run so we’ll see.’