Kaerup just holds off Ongaro to take A1

An intense A1 of 4WD at the IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championship saw Top Qualifier Marcus Kaerup just hold off defending Champion Davide Ongaro as the two Team Associated drivers dogged it out over the 5-minutes.  With Kaerup struggling out of the corners, Ongaro was all over the rear wing of the Dane making contact on a number of occasions.  The Italian’s big chance to go to the front would come as the race approached the final minute, Kaerup catching the pipe at left side double and coming up short on the landing.  However Ongaro would land on the inside pipe and miss the corner handing the lead right back.  With Ongaro then coming under pressure from the Xray of David Ronnefalk, Kaerup was able to bring home the win.  Having got by his team-mate Phend, when they touched wheels coming off the main straight & into the double double, the American coming off worst, Ronnefalk completed the Top 3 ahead of Mugen Seiki’s Burak Kilic and Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik.

Giving his thoughts on A1, Kaerup said, ‘The car really hard to drive, the rear was stepping out everywhere so I had to single single a couple of times to make sure I didn’t do the same as the practice final (he came up sort allowing Ongaro to go to the front).  Overall it was a good run and I just need to find some comfortability for the next one.’  On the error that allowed Ongaro to momentarily take the lead, the 17-year-old said, ‘the car was stepping out so I ran into the pipe and I couldn’t clear the jump.  Thankfully he hit the pipe on the landing and I was able to maintain the lead.’

Joking that the race was ‘super relaxed and nothing crazy’, Ongaro said, ‘Let’s try in A2 and see what happens, but actually we have the pace to be there.  I was a bit on one side unlucky when he missed the double and I hit the pipe but then was lucky to not flip so it was 50-50 on my side.’  On his car, the 3-time back to back 1:8 Buggy World Champion said, ‘It was super super good.’

Summing up his race, Ronnefalk said, ‘It was pretty good.  Unfortunately we were not close enough to the guys in front when they made some mistakes.  We were just a little bit too far back but stuff happens and I am sure Davide is not going to let Marcus win that easy in A2 so I expect the same things to happen.  We have got to be a little closer and try to pick up the pieces when something happens in front.’