January 11, 2009

Bergfeldt is Champion

He was the class of the 111 strong Pro Stock field here in Denmark and now Tommy Bergfeldt is the very deserving 2009 DHI Cup Champion.  The Hot Bodies driver dominated qualifying to take the TQ honours from where he continued his reign, the only glitch of the perfect weekend being a problem which was outside of his control.  A motor problem messing up his Leg 2 race.

Four drivers had a chance of the title going in the final leg but once the Red Bull supported driver got into his rhythm the rest were fighting for the second spot on the podium. Bergfeldt didn’t let the earlier drama get to him and repeated his crushing Leg 1 victory to lift his first international title and he was clearly delighted. ‘This is the biggest win for me and I am really delighted.  Last year I finished fourth here and I said to myself I really want to win next year.  Now I have and I cant believe I did it.’  While he will enjoy the glamour of winning the coveted title as he steps up to the podium to collect his huge trophy, its quickly back to reality as he faces a 1,000km drive home to Sweden tonight.  One good thing is that his friends have offered to do the driving so he can hold & admire his DHI Cup.

Second in the final Pro Stock encounter at the Odense Conference Centre was Leg 2 winner Henry Salmen, the result securing the runners up spot for the Finnish Tamiya driver.  Meik Niemann took third but the final step on the podium goes the way of his SMI Motorsport team-mate Bastian Hennig.

Super Stock A-main Leg 3 results
1. Tommy Bergfeldt – 20 Laps in 313,95
2. Henry Salmén – 19 Laps in 303,49
3. Meik Niemann – 19 Laps in 305,50
4. Tony Streit – 19 Laps in 305,97
5. Thomas Mirke – 19 Laps in 306,96
6. Matthias Lang – 19 Laps in 307,49
7. Christoph Thiele – 19 Laps in 307,83
8. Carsten Madsen – 19 Laps in 309,92
9. Marcus Horn – 19 Laps in 311,35
10. Bastian Hennig – 19 Laps in 312,43

Super Stock final results
1. Tommy Bergfeldt – 20pts
2. Henry Salmén – 19pts
3. Bastian Hennig – 17pts
4. Christoph Thiele – 16pts
5. Meik Niemann – 13pts
6. Thomas Mirke – 13pts
7. Matthias Lang – 12pts
8. Tony Streit – 10pts
9. Marcus Horn – 9pts
10. Carsten Madsen – 5pts

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January 11, 2009

Hagberg converts it in Leg 2

After a rocky opening Leg Alexander Hagberg converted his TQ into victory which will take the 2009 DHI Cup title down to the final Leg.  A far more relaxed Hagberg fended off an early challenge from Leg 1 winner Marc Rheinard but the German made a mistake giving the Swede the break he needed. Teemu Leino completed the Top 3.

Having switched to new scrubbed in tyres for Leg 2, Hagberg was much happier with the handling of his Xray which he said felt again like it did yesterday.  Admitting to nerves getting the better of him first time round he said he kept his head this time and hopes he can repeat this in the all important third final.

Rheinard said his Tamiya was very good in the opening part of the run but starts to get very loose as the race runs.  Managing to just hold off Leino, a change of additive is on the cards for the third Leg which will determine the 9th DHI Cup Champion.  That battle is between just three drivers – Rheinard, Hagberg and defending Champion Viktor Wilck who was forced to retired from Leg 2 with radio interference.

Jilles Groskamp held off Corally’s Marc Fisher for fourth while 17-year-old Christer Andersson completed the Top 6.

Modified A-main Leg 2 results
1. Alexander Hagberg – 21 Laps in 308,36
2. Marc Rheinard – 21 Laps in 310,54
3. Teemu Leino – 21 Laps in 311,17
4. Jilles Groskamp – 21 Laps in 313,41
5. Marc Fischer – 21 Laps in 313,70
6. Christer Andersson – 20 Laps in 303,08
7. Yannic Prumper – 20 Laps in 306,26
8. Jonas Kaerup – 20 Laps in 307,00
9. Steen Graversen – 20 Laps in 312,60
10. Viktor Wilck – 10 Laps in 154,96

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January 11, 2009

Salmen wins 2nd Pro Stock encounter

There was a dramatic start to the second Leg of the Pro Stock A-Main as the car of Leg 1 winner Tommy Bergfeldt hesitated at the start leaving the Swede last after the opening lap.  Continuing in the race the Red Bull supported driver tried to work his way back up the field but would end the run classified 10th.  With the Top Qualifier out this allowed Finland’s Henry Salmen to take the win meaning the 2009 title will be decided in the final leg.  Bergfeldt’s poor start has been attributed to a motor problem and race organisers have issued the talented Pro Stock racer a new hand out unit for the final leg.

Having found his car tweaked after the opening leg Salmen said his Tamiya was now working perfect and believes he can take the challenge to Bergfeldt.  The only other two drivers in with a chance of overall DHI Cup honours are SMI Motorsport pairing Christoph Thiele and Bastian Hennig, Thiele taking second in Leg 2 ahead of his team-mate.

Super Stock A-main Leg 2 results
1. Henry Salmén – 19 Laps in 300.85
2. Christoph Thiele – 19 Laps in 302,07
3. Bastian Hennig – 19 Laps in 304,15
4. Thomas Mirke – 19 Laps in 304,37
5. Matthias Lang – 19 Laps in 304,62
6. Marcus Horn – 19 Laps in 306,08
7. Meik Niemann – 19 Laps in 307,25
8. Tony Streit – 19 Laps in 309,26
9. Carsten Madsen – 19 Laps in 311,14
10. Tommy Bergfeldt – 20 Laps in 313,61

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January 11, 2009

Rheinard takes Leg 1

Marc Rheinard has won Leg 1 of the Speed Passion supported DHI Cup.  The reigning World Champion took the lead from Top Qualifier Alexander Hagberg on the opening lap from where he would remain to take victory from his Tamiya team-mate Viktor Wilck.  Team Corally driver Marc Fisher completed the Top 3.

The only serious challenge to Rheinard’s lead came from Team Xray’s Teemu Leino.  The Finn had a very fast car in the early stages of the race but he caught a corner dot just before the 2 minute mark and rolled, allowing Wilck and Hagberg through.  Leino said his car was very good and slightly faster than Rheinard in the early part of the race but he was unlucky as the German caught the same dot but did pay the same penalty.  Leino would end the encounter in fifth.

Making it a Tamiya 1-2 in the Leg, defending Champion Wilck benefited from the slight untidy race but was happy to take second having started from fifth.  After a challenge from Hagberg which sent his TRF416 into the track markers, collecting Leino in the process, the Swede said his car felt tweaked but with the pack continuing to trip each other up he drove safely to bring it home in second. The result keeps him in with a chance of retaining his title.

Fisher, who started from sixth on the grid, was very happy to bring his RDX Phi 2 home in third and now smells an overall podium finish.  The German feels his car will be better in Leg 2 as the controlled Sorex 28 tyres get more mileage on them

Hagberg reported his car as being very loose after he opted to use his first set of tyres in the opening leg.  The Swede will run new tyres, which he scrubbed in during the practice final, in Leg 2 and will be hoping for a tidier race.  Jilles Groskamp completed the Top 6 while seventh and eight when to young guns Christer Andersson and Yannic Prumper.

Modified A-main Leg 1 results
1. Marc Rheinard – 21 Laps in 309,63
2. Viktor Wilck – 21 Laps in 311,16
3. Marc Fischer – 21 Laps in 314,14
4. Alexander Hagberg – 20 Laps in 300,10
5. Teemu Leino – 20 Laps in 300.36
6. Jilles Groskamp – 20 Laps in 300,88
7. Christer Andersson – 20 Laps in 303,00
8. Yannic Prumper – 20 Laps in 303,13
9. Steen Graversen – 20 Laps in 303,34
10. Jonas Kaerup – 20 Laps in 306,41

In the B Final former World Champion Andy Moore took his Hot Bodies to victory over Freddy Sudhoff and Ronald Volker.

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January 11, 2009

Bergfeldt cruises to Leg 1 victory

He dominated qualifying and its looks like business as usual today for Tommy Bergfeldt with the Swede crushing his opposition in the first Leg of the Pro Stock A-Main.  Starting from pole the Hot Bodies driver was very challenged cruising to a 3 second winning margin over former DHI Cup Champion Bastian Hennig.

While Bergfeldt disappeared up front the big battle of the race was for second. For the opening 2 minutes of the race it was Germany’s Matthias Lang and Finland’s Henry Salmén who rubbed bodyshells but the Xray and Tamiya eventually made contact with Lang coming off the worst.  The contact allowed fourth place starter Hennig to get his Xray up to second.  Salmen tried everything to pass the SMI Motorsport driver but with 25 seconds to go he rolled his TRF416 managing just get going again, ahead of Christoph Theile to take third.  Lang finished fifth.

Super Stock A-main Leg 1 results
1. Tommy Bergfeldt – 20 Laps in 314,65
2. Bastian Hennig – 19 Laps in 301,90
3. Henry Salmén – 19 Laps in 303,84
4. Christoph Thiele – 19 Laps in 304,16
5. Matthias Lang – 19 Laps in 304,22
6. Meik Niemann – 19 Laps in 306,10
7. Marcus Horn – 19 Laps in 306,70
8. Thomas Mirke – 19 Laps in 306,88
9. Carsten Madsen – 19 Laps in 312,84
10. Tony Streit – 19 Laps in 313,41

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January 11, 2009

Practice Final Update

A-Main drivers have completed their practice finals and both encounters saw a lot of bumping.  In Pro Stock Tommy Bergfeldt is clearly the man to beat as just left the pack trailing but on lap times Thomas Mirke was able to match the pace of the Swede.

In the Modified A-main practice, Jilles Groskamp was registered as taking first position but the pace setter was defending Champion Viktor Wilck.  The Swede’s Tamiya looked really good allowing him to record the fastest lap with a 14.11 before pulling up early while holding the lead.  Wilck was 1/10th faster than fellow countryman & Top Qualifier Alexander Hagberg.  Hagberg had an unfortunate incident this morning when someone accidentally spilt hot coffee on his arm resulting in rather nasty burns.  The Xray driver has taken pain killers but thinks he should be OK for the real finals.  The majority of drivers used the practice final to scrub in new tyres.

In the quality B Final pole sitter Ronald Volker got collected at the start and found himself last at the end of the opening lap.  This allowed Andy Moore, Freddy Sudhoff and Martin Hudy to battle it out for the lead.  Three lead changes later and it was Slovak Hudy who took the win from Sudhoff, Moore and the recovering Volker.

First A-Main for Pro Stock is scheduled for 13:00 with Leg 1 for Modified out at 13:45.

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