Electric Touring Euros underway in Luxembourg

It may be one of the smallest countries in Europe but Luxembourg is this week playing host to the biggest 1:10 Electric Touring Car event of the year, the EFRA European Championships, at the massive Mini-Circuit “Ville de Luxembourg”.  Overcast weather conditions have greeted the 140 plus competitors on today’s opening day which will see the drivers, who represent 22 nations, each get four 5-minute practice runs to learn one of the world most unique tracks with it Laguna Seca style corners and elevations.

Heading the entry is defending champion Marc Rheinard.  The factory Tamiya driver, who since winning the crown last year in Spain has added the World and Indoor European titles to his CV, is pretty confident going into the event having conducted a number of successful test days around the quick but technical track. Tamiya are the team to beat right now in touring cars and won the Warm Up race with Jilles Groskamp but they are not resting on their laurels with the TRF416 designer Kiyo Suzuki making the trip from Japan to support their four factory drivers here. Groskamp, who two weeks ago tied up his second Euro Touring Series title, is very hungry for his first EFRA European title having been a runner-up in the past. The Dutch ace is suffering from a cold but says once he starts driving its not a problem. Fresh from competing last week at the 1:10 nitro Euros in Gubbio, Italy, where he was racing for Serpent, Groskamp has been using his early runs to readjust his driving back to the style required for electric.

With little or no presence in Spain last year Yokomo are serious contenders now in Luxembourg. The Japanese company has aquired the services of 2007 Champion and last year’s Top Qualifier Ronald Volker. The German has already notched up a big win for his new team with victory at the Reedy Race in the US and is feeling pretty confident here with his BD5 and LRP combination and is being backed up by Robert Itoh and Umino from Yokomo have travelled to Luxembourg to support him. Also on the Yokomo team is Martin Hofer who showed at the ETS race in Apeldoorn the potential of the new car on asphalt.

2006 Champion Andy Moore described the track as ‘very cool’ but said it’s a lot harder to drive than it looks. Having built two fresh Hot Bodies Cyclones for the event, the former World Champion thinks it is going to be a very close race and making 5-minutes will be down to getting the car to get the most from the LRP controlled tyres. Finland’s Teemu Leino heads a very strong Xray team. The 2005 Champion, who has been a Euros finalist 10 times, likes the track and enjoyed a good pre event test here. Also strong for Xray will be European Junior Champion Elliot Harper and Sweden’s Alexander Hagberg who on Sunday finished second at the 1:10 nitro Euros.

Heading the Team Associated challenge is Juho Levanen. Runner-up to Volker at the Reedy Race, this is only the Finn’s second asphalt race of the year and having sampled the ‘cool’ track for the very first time this morning he feels maybe now he should have come here for pre event testing. Team-mate Christer Andersson did come for testing two weeks ago which he said went well. The 17-year-old, who has been enjoying a strong run recently claiming both the Finnish Touring Car and 4WD Off Road National titles, is aiming to make his first Euros A-Main this week but is concerned about run time, something he has not had to worry about back home where LiPo is permitted. The switch to LiPo has been a common talking point here this morning with many drivers hoping EFRA with adapt them for 2010.

Carrying the hopes of UK manufacturer Schumacher is Chris Grainger who currently leads the British championship with the Mi4. In Spain Grainger had to withdraw from the event due to illness but is today feeling fine and looking forward to driving on this ‘great track’. The multiple British Champion, who took part in the Warm Up race, said the circuit is a real challenge and very tough as there is no point in a lap where you can rest. 2008 Finalist Marc Fisher heads the Corally challenge along with Finland’s Simo Ahoniemi. Fisher’s GM electrics are known for their high end power and the German should be strong here but he aired caution about making run time, however the current cool condition should be a help.

Another former Champion competing here is Jonas Kaerup who is this year driving a Tamiya. His first asphalt race of the year the Danish driver had four days testing here which he said was made easy by the fact that Rheinard was in attendance and he just ran his set-up.

View our event image gallery here.