2 from 2 for Balestri as Matsukura closest challenger
Dario Balestri made it 2 from 2 in qualifying at the IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship in Italy, the Infinity driver again leading a 1-2 for the reigning World Champion manufacturer, this time however the gap much smaller to second fastest Naoto Matsukura. With an overcast Q1, the sun broke through the clouds for Q2, making for a slower track but learning from his mistakes in the first one Matsukura put in a error free run to get to within a second of Balestri who again was the only driver to manage 27-laps. Taking the same approach as Matsukura after he had two mistakes in the morning, Xray’s Filippo Domanin completed the Top 3, the finish order the same as how they seeded after practice after a missed lap for the Italian was picked up on the backup timing computer. With their star driver Toni Gruber struggling so far this week, an improved Q2 netting him a P6 for the round, it was returning 2018 podium finisher Kyle Branson who lead the Capricorn challenge. He would post the fourth fastest time ahead of defending Champion Jilles Groskamp while Alex Thurston who took his Mugen Seiki to P3 in the opening round set the 7th fastest time.
‘Good points’ was how Balestri summed up his second TQ run. The reigning back to back European Champion continued, ‘the track was much slower, much slower. The traction became low front and rear because of the high temperature. Of course I made no change in the set-up but the balance was still good just a little bit understeering.’ Asked what changes he might make for Q3, he confidently replied, ‘absolutely nothing and just keep it like this. It is working how it is so no need to change anything.’
Asked about his second effort having thrown away a potential strong Q1 when he took too much curb and spun out, Matsukura replied, ‘No mistake that time but that time the temperature was much higher and the traction was a little bit low.’ He continued, ‘Still the car was OK for me. We didn’t change anything because I needed the points after my mistakes in Q1. I just did a safety drive.’ Looking to Q3, the multi classes World Champion plans a change to his IF15 saying, ‘I think we will make a little change cause it is more hot and my car is pushing a little. We talked and agreed to do a small change for a little more steering.’ Asked about his pace in comparison to Balestri, the general feeling here being that only he and Domanin are any match for Balestri on outright pace, he said, ‘My first lap was not perfect and .4 slow but once the engine came up our times were almost the same so the pace is good so it is just the little things but we try to next one.’
‘That was better and I could make P3 now’, was Domanin’s reaction after Q2. The 18-year-old continued, ‘It was a clean run. I drove more safely and more calm and it made for a good run.’ On the slower track conditions, the son of 2006 European 1:8 Onroad Champion Fabio Domanin, this year’s 1:8 European Championship podium finisher said, ‘my car was still good, we didn’t change anything from Q1. I want to make another good run with this pace so we will not change anything for Q3. I want to get another P3’.
Having made a comeback to nitro racing, the ENS in Germany in May the total sum of his preparations for his Worlds return, Branson said this week has been about learning. Racing an Xray in Germany, here is running Capricorn, a brand he represented previously for many years before switching to Electric Touring. He explained, ‘Obviously I ran Capricorn for years but I am still learning the car again. It’s actually going well but practice went better than how qualifying started so hopefully we can find something to get us back there. A 4th and a 7th is not bad and I think there is only going to be four rounds cause it is going to rain tomorrow.’ Asked about the comeback having switched to EP as well as taking a year out after the birth of his first child, the 32-year-old said, ‘I missed it a bit I guess and it’s more fun (than electric). On his car set-up he said, ‘now the car is just loose and unpredictable were as at the beginning of the week I could just throw it around and it was super good everywhere. Today is the only day it has felt this bad to be honest.’ Asked then if the P4 was a lucky run, the British driver replied, ‘No I think that was genuine. The first run I lost a bag of time because I came out of the pits and then Dario came behind me and Filippo made a mistake and rejoined so I lost a lot of time and got a 7th.’ He concluded, ‘it is frustrating when last night ended really well and the car this morning just doesn’t work. It’s pretty annoying but that the track, the track is a living thing.’
