Matsukura tops first Qualifier
Naoto Matsukura has made his intentions clear here in Thailand by topping the time sheets when it counted most, as qualifying for the 1:12 IFMAR World Championships got underway at the RCS in Bangkok. The 14-year-old Yokomo star driver is running an Associated, due to Yokomo’s Japanese distribution links with AE, and put in a 39 lap run in a time 08:02.244 which was some 8 seconds faster than second placed Juho Levanen who made it a 1-2 for the RC12R5. In the final practice Matsukura had run a 40 lapper but believes increased wind at the track made for a slower run time in the first heat.
Levanen was very pleased with his run. The Finn said it will be hard to improve the car but in an attempt to match the pace of his fellow Associated driver he will try using the same additive as the young Japanese star.
Hupo Honigl was really surprised with his run to third which could very easily have been second if he had not got caught up with another car while lapping. Yesterday the Austrian Team CRC driver couldn’t get his car to work but a simple change to the application of tyre additive has transformed the LRP powered Gen X Black Art Edition car, allowing him to run 39 laps in 08:10.716. Unfortunately for his team-mate Jilles Groskamp today has seen his car the opposite way – great yesterday and a handful today.
Shin Adachi was fastest of the world class Hot Bodies team line-up in the opening qualifier as he gets better and better with each outing. The Japanese driver, who is driving 1:12 for the first time in six years, said his Cyclone 12X is working better today but hopes that more is still to come. Behind him was another Hot Bodies with fellow countryman Hideo Kitazawa setting the fifth fastest time. Their Hot Bodies team mates didn’t have such a good run. Atsushi Hara, who is the pre-event favourite, chunked a tyre during his run and Andy Moore is still not happy with the feel of his car making a number of mistakes on his way to 9th fastest for Round 1.
Team Corally lead driver Simo Ahoneimi was pleased with how is car was working but was not so happy with the final result for the heat as his car started to dump in the last minute of the run. The two times European Champion said that track conditions are much better today which is really suiting his car and that sixth is not a true indication of his pace. Daisuke Yoshioka was the final driver to record 39 laps with the seventh fastest time.
Xray made a big impression yesterday with their prototype XII with Teemu Leino surprising his rivals with very fast runs. Leino couldn’t repeat the performance this morning saying the car doesn’t feel as good which he is putting down to tyres which on asphalt are key to a good car. This left his team-mate Alex Hagberg to head the Xray challenge in eight position. The Swede was really pleased with his run and the car but will try a different compound for Heat 2 in an attempt to close the gap to the pace setters. Elliot Harper, who is making his asphalt 1:12 scale debut, appears to be getting to grips with the new surface as he completes the Top 10 for round 1.
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