Balestri aiming to complete Euros hat trick from first pole position start
Dario Balestri will start tomorrow’s EFRA 1:10 200mm European Championships from pole position after the fourth and final round of qualifying failed to see any improvements from the front runners, Serpent’s Jilles Groskamp being the biggest improver going from 42nd after round 3 to a Semi Final place with 13th. Fastest for the round, which was overall slower due to the higher track temperatures, was Jerome Renaux who lines up a very impressive second on the grid.
Balestri failed to complete the last heat but the Italian, who is chasing his third consecutive European title, still posted the fastest lap with his Novarossi powered Team Magic and was very happy to secure his first ever European Top Qualifier honours. Having won his last two titles against all odds, after starting out in the 1/4 finals, Balestri hopes carrying the No. 1 race number on his G4RS 09 will bring him luck. ‘Two years I didn’t think it was possible to win. Now I hope being first will bring me luck here and the situation will not create any problems for me’. The last driver to win the Euros from pole was Michael Salven back in 2004 and since then the Top Qualifiers have failed to make it on to the podium.
A finalist at the last two European B Championships, Renaux is one of the big surprises of qualifying admitting himself that lining up second for the final was ‘totally unexpected’. The Xray driver came to Italy hoping to qualify for the 1/4 final but the unfamiliar hot conditions have suited the two time Belgian Champion. Used to low traction circuits and plenty of wet racing in his home country he said getting directly into the Main is already a result for him but hopes he can finish higher than 10th, a result he has achieved on both occasions in the EC-B finals.
Jolly Italian Francesco Tironi joked ‘three is the magic number’ after securing third on the grid for the final, the same starting position he took at the World Championships. The Sirio team driver said he was very happy with the result in particular for Mugen whom he only joined this season. Talking about the final, the 2005 pole sitter said tyre wear will play a big part in the outcome of the race but he will try very hard for the win as claiming your first European title on home soil would be very special.
The fourth and final direct qualifier, Biagio Spataro said he is already satisfied with his European Championship no matter what the outcome of the race. There was much hype about this emerging Italian talent before the race and the 15-year-old admitted he felt the pressure but making it into the Final he can now relax and enjoy the race.
‘It sucks’ was how Michael Salven summed up qualifying fifth, putting him pole for the extremely competitive Semi A final. The two time former Champion said it was frustrating as his 733 has been perfect all week but engine problems meant he was unable to challenge for the desired top 4 spot. Overall the designer of Serpent’s new 200mm chassis was disappointed for the team in particular for Groskamp who proved in the opening qualifier he had the pace to challenge for the TQ honours.
Lining up on Pole for the Semi B Final Dirk Wishnewski was still reflecting on his mistake this morning which almost certainly cost him a Top 4 time. Originally setting himself a target of making the Semi, the German Champion is disappointed to have come so close but said he must now focus on the job in hand. Having already tested his Xray on larger tyres he is pretty confident he will be strong over the 20 minute encounter and can progress to the Main.
Elsewhere ‘Warm Up’ race winner Giuseppe D’Angelo said he is very disappointed to end up eight. Having struggled with understeer on his Reds Racing powered Mugen today he dropped from holding second overnight but the Italian is confident he can progress from the ‘difficult’ Semi A to the Main and from there challenge for the outright victory.
For the two World Champions racing here in Gubbio tomorrow it is set to be a very busy day. Current Champion Daniele Ielasi summed up their week very well, ‘Its crazy, two World Champions are here but we are no where after qualifying. I hope tomorrow we will make many kilometres.’ Ielasi said 50th position was not a true reflection of the new Shepherd as earlier in the week the car was able to achieve 16.1 lap times easily. Despite rebuilding the car last night and reverting back to the set-up he ran Monday and Tuesday he can not get the car to his liking. Lining up 47th, 2004 World Champion Adrien Bertin said it’s been one tough week but he finally has a car that is drivable. With his Team Orion powered Kyosho feeling strong in the final qualifier, the Frenchman said he pushed too hard and crashed as he desperately chased a good time.
Top 18 qualifiers
1. Dario Balestri – Team Magic/NR – 26 laps in 07:09.413 (Q3)
2. Jerome Renaux – Xray/Novarossi – 26 laps in 07:11.161 (Q3)
3. Francesco Tironi – Mugen/Sirio – 26 laps in 07:11.328 (Q3)
4. Biagio Spataro – Xray/JP – 26 laps in 07:11.502 (Q3)
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5. Michael Salven – Serpent/Mega – 26 laps in 07:11.594 (Q3)
6. Dirk Wischnewski – Xray/Novarossi – 26 laps in 07:12.733 (Q3)
7. Giuseppe D’angelo – Mugen/Reds – 26 laps in 07:12.978 (Q2)
8. Giorgio De Felici – Xray/Max – 26 laps in 07:13.326 (Q3)
9. Teemu Leino – Xray/Team Orion – 26 laps in 07:13.728 (Q3)
10.Manuel Huber – Xray/Max – 26 laps in 07:14.013 (Q4)
11.Martin Hudy – Xray/Max – 26 laps in 07:14.369 (Q4)
12.Kyle Branson – Serpent/Sirio – 26 laps in 07:14.866 (Q3)
13.Jilles Groskamp – Serpent/Max – 26 laps in 07:15.254 (Q4)
14.Niki Duina – Xray/Max – 26 laps in 07:15.490 (Q1)
15.Mark Green – Serpent/Novarossi – 26 laps in 07:15.609 (Q3)
16.Robert Pietsch – Mugen/Novarossi – 26 laps in 07:15.940 (Q4)
17.Gerhard Kandelhardt – Xray/NR – 25 laps in 07:00.733 (Q3)
18.Guido Barbera – Xray/Max – 25 laps in 07:01.069 (Q3)Complete qualfiying results can be found here (PDF)
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