Kaerup wins on MIBO debut, Zaleswski adds 2WD title

Travelling to MIBO International for the first this weekend Team Associated Danish talent Marcus Kaerup returns home from the Czech Republic with an updated CV and additional silverware after securing the win in 4WD and runner-up spot in 2WD, that title going to the Xray of last year’s 4WD Champion Bartek Zaleswski.  While Michal Orlowski’s plans to race both onroad and offroad at Michal Bok’s unique event didn’t materialise, the competition on the offroad track was still fierce between Kaerup, Zaleswski and Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik the end result seeing the trio play music chairs in terms of the podium other between categories.  In 4WD, Kearup secured the TQ honours while Kobbevik secure the 2WD pole but Zaleswski sent of message of intent with his double TQ run in Sunday morning’s fifth & final qualifier ahead of the triple finals.  In 4WD a gamble on new tyres gave Kaerup the A1 win ahead of Zaleswski.  While his rivals brought out their new rubber for A2, a calculated performance on his one run older tyres saw Kaerup stretch an early lead which he then worked on maintaining to the end to wrap up an early overall win.  While Sworkz’s Micha Widmaier won A3, leaving three drivers equal of 5-points, the tie breaker gave Kobbevik 2nd and Zaleswki third ahead of the Austrian.

2WD would provide the more entertaining action with Kaerup, after recovering from a mistake of his own, out-jumping Kobbevik with 2-minutes to go to win A1.  A2 saw the duo at it again but a mistake when he jumped his AE into a corner marker looked to be the break Kobbevik needed.  However having held a huge gap over his closest rival, with 1-minute to go the Norwegian caught a corner and rolled off the track handing Zaleswki the lead and win meaning it was all on the line in A3.  That encounter saw a Kaerup pull off a great pass as Kobbevik got slightly wide but a later slight error from the new leader resulting in the pair tangling with Zaleswki there to take over the lead and see it out to win the title.  In celebration of the victory a slightly over exuberant run at the jump after the loop saw the 18-year-old’s buggy launched out of the track, something he apologised for shortly afterwards over the race control PA.  With another P2 for the round, Kobbevik would again have to settle for second overall with Kaerup completing the podium line-up.

Pleased with his 4WD win on his first MIBO appearance, especially given he felt his rivals had the advantage of doing the race previously and knew ‘the tyre game’ better than he did, Kaerup explained, ‘the first A-Main was quite good I had new tyres where everyone else had the used ones so I just got out and got some comfort in the car.  After the first 2-laps I had a pretty good lead and then I just keep it on all four wheels and made to the finish line first.’  On the second A-Main, he said, ‘this time the other guys had the new tyres and I had the old ones.  This surface has no grip so the tyres get used pretty hard on just one run but I got a small gap after 2-minutes and I just kept that for the last 3-minutes.’  Content with backing up his 4WD win with a podium in 2WD, asked for a summary of his performance there he said, ‘In A1 I just kept the pressure from the start on Kobbevik and I noticed he was slightly off line in one of the corners so I took advantage one time and jumped by him and then went on to win it.  The second one I blew it and decided to pull over and save the tyre so now for the last one we were equal on tyres cause he used his new tyres in the second one.’  The 17-year-old continued, ‘I again made pressure on Kobbevik from the start and he made a small mistake on the side jump at the rostrum and I got to his inside and made the overtake so I was leading.  With 1 and a half minutes left I slightly clipped the pipe and lost momentum at the end of the straight.  Kobbevik couldn’t slow down and we tangled.  It was just racing and he waited for me.’  On the tyre games he felt he may have put on his final new set too early but he knows that for next time.  Asked his impression of the 2 and half day event, he said ‘it was busy but enjoyable, I enjoyed the event.’

Coming the fore with his 4WD at last year’s MIBO International, on this year’s performance Zaleswki said, ‘I am very happy with the 2WD win because I start from the 3rd place, in 4WD I was very close to the second place but it is how it is and I am still happy with the result.’  Having started off the first serious business of the event by topping seeding in both categories, but then struggling to convert that pace into good qualifying results over Saturday, asked what resulted in the Sunday return to form, he said pointing to his head, ‘I think my mind was better for the final and also for today we changed something on the cars and it worked very well from the fifth qualifier.’

Asking Kobbevik to sum up his finals, on 4WD he said, ‘It ended the best possible way after Marcus took the first two A-Mains.  I obviously wanted to compete with him in the mains but I didn’t have the pace now cause I did some bad decisions with the car and the tyres for the mains, and I am also exhausted after three days of racing and a lot of runs, there is not much time in between rounds.  It’s the same for everyone but I am tired now and glad the race is done.’  On 2WD, this his second year to secure the overall TQ, the 20-year-old said, ‘the pace was really good because I had one set of new tyres and a set that was only run one time so obviously I should have used new tyres like Marcus did in A1 but it was a wrong call from my side and some mistakes cost me the win.’  Giving hid thoughts on A3 he said, ‘Marcus did a great pace on me but then he touched the pipe after the straight, obviously I didn’t really see that. It’s racing what happened after that but I am sorry it ruined his chance for the win and mine as well.’

View full offroad results here.

Video – 4WD Buggy A-Main Leg 1

View full results here.

Video – 2WD Buggy A-Main Leg 1

View full results here.

Kaerup & Kobbeik Top Qualifiers at MIBO International

Kicking off Mains day at MIBO International with the fifth & final qualifier, it would not net any changes in terms of who will be starting on pole in the Czech Republic, Marcus Kaerup keeping the overall TQ in 4WD while Daniel Kobbevik repeated his 2024 TQ of 2WD.  With 3 from 5 to count, drivers first battle of the day was to decide 2WD with Kaerup needing a TQ run and the fastest time of the weekend to deny Kobbevik, the scenario reversed for 4WD.  While Kaerup started well, his Team Associated running at the top of the timing screens he touched a pipe and rolled ending his chances as Bartosz Zaleswski took the round ahead of Martin Bayer to secure P3 on the grid as Kobbevik’s Schumacher locked in the overall TQ.  In 4WD, with Kaerup on 3rd run tyres, Kobbevik moved quickly to the front on track but it was defending Champion Zaleswski who had the fastest buggy.  The only driver dipping into 16-second lap times, he kicked off his day with a second TQ run finishing almost 6-seconds clear of Kobbevik who got a P2 for the round and held that same spot on the starting grid behind Kaerup.  Again the 18-year-old will be the leading Xray challenger also lining up P3 in 4WD.

Summing up the final round of qualifying Kaerup was pleased to get the Top Qualifier honours for 4WD on his MIBO International debut saying, ‘It was my third run on those tyres so I was a little behind on pace and Daniel could get by me but in the end we have the TQ and I am confident for the finals’.  On 2WD he explained, ‘I hit a pipe and rolled but the car is good and starting from P2 is fine, the finals are going to be all about the 5-minutes’, the track has been challenging even the best of the drivers to go the full distance without a mistake.

‘A good start to the day to get the TQ overall again.  I did the same last year but this time I will try to keep it together in the finals.  I feel the car is good for the Mains’, was Kobbevik’s reaction to becoming the 2WD Top Qualifier.  On 4WD he said, ‘I knew it was going to be difficult to get the TQ and in a better time than Marcus if I was to take the TQ.  I’m happy with second.’  With tyres playing a big role in the final qualifying round, the Norwegian hinted that he has played the tyre game well for the finals.

Kobbevik & Kaerup hold overnight TQ at MIBO

Daniel Kobbevik and Marcus Kaerup hold the overnight Offroad TQs at MIBO International with one round of qualifying to go but it was very contrasting finishes to the day’s action for the pair.  For Kobbevik the penultimate round of qualifying saw the Schumacher driver do the double topping the time for both 2WD and 4WD.  For Kaerup however his day ended with a bang as he clipped a track marker resulted in what he described himself as a ‘major break’ on his Team Associated.  Having TQ’d the second 2WD qualifying the time of fastest time of the day Q4 TQ run means the Norwegian holds the top on the rankings having finished the day equal on points with Kaerup who took the other two rounds.  Now a two way shot out for the pole position, Kaerup needs to take Q5 and better Kobbevik’s time.  In 4WD Kaerup was the only driver to manage to double his TQ tally taking Q3 after opening qualifying with the fastest run.  While Czech Sworkz driver Dominik Vlášek surprised with a TQ run in Q2, it is also going to be a battle of Scandinavians for the 4WD pole position, Kobbevik needing a TQ that is quicker that than set by Kaerup in Q3.  Behind them, top seed for both categories and the defending 4WD Champion Bartek Zalewski completes the overnight Top 3 in 2WD with his Xray with the Polish driver still not happy with the performance of his buggies since qualifying started.  In 4WD it is the Sworkz of Micha Widmaier in third, the Austrian looking very competitive as he ended the day with a P2 despite a late mistake.

‘A perfect way to end the day’, was the reaction of Kobbevik to his double TQ in Round 4.  He continued, ‘2WD was as good as the first one, I made no changes to it.  4WD we improved the car a bit so I have a good feeling with it going into tomorrow.’  Asked about tomorrow, last year’s double podium finisher replied that his objective was ‘a good night sleep to get ready to fight tomorrow.  It has been a long day.’

Asked what happened him in the final 4WD qualifier Kaerup said, ‘I clipped a marker and it was game over.’  The Danish teenager continued, ‘It was going really good.  I feel I found some pace after a set-up change so I am confident for tomorrow.  Overall it was a good day.’  On his 2WD he said, ‘I had good pace and a pace advantage I just need to put a clean 5-minutes together.’

Coming undone from a potential TQ run when he got stuck in a corner, Widmaier said his 4WD ‘feels very good’ and also over the full 5-minutes in terms of consistency.  Declaring he is ‘really looking forward to tomorrow’, on his 2WD he said this is ‘a little bit of a struggle’.  Stopping to save tyres in Q1, in Q3 his buggy broke on a straight forward landing leading him to believe he had actually broken it in a previous round.  These two DNFs mean that he has to delivery a good result in Q5 to give make the A-Main.  He concluded, ‘I remember last year that things were a bit chaotic so I’ll just try to get a good starting position and then see what happens.’