November 21, 2024

Leino first to double in qualifying in Bangkok

12-years ago he was the Top Qualifier when Thailand hosted the World Championships for the first time and now this morning as the country hosts the 1:10 Nitro’s biggest race for a third time, Infinity driver Teemu Leino has kicked off Day 2 of qualifying as the first driver to deliver a second TQ run and move in on pole for Saturday’s final.  With Day 1 of qualifying seeing a different driver at the top each round it was the Finn who closed yesterday’s action by topping Q3 and this morning he has pick back up where he left off to top Q4 from the Capricorn of Toni Gruber who opened qualifying at the 10th running of the World Championship with the fastest time.  Overall it was a good round for Italian manufacturer Capricorn, a huge improvement from 2012 World Champion Meen Vejrak would see the Thai driver get a P3 for the round ahead of Q2 winner Dario Balestri and Swede Viktor Wilck.

Summing up his second TQ run, it being slightly slower than his Q3 time, Leino said, ‘I had the one mistake but still got the run by 2/10th so it OK.  I had a 1-second spin on the straight so I could have gone faster without that’.  On the mistake he explain, ‘It was just a spin on the sweeper, I don’t know why maybe I hit a bump or something I don’t know.’  Looking to the penultimate round of qualifier when he could lock in the overall TQ for Saturday’s 1-hour World title decider he said, ‘We’ll just keep everything the same and try to make one more.  The speed is good, all is good.’

Finishing 0.268 of a second off Leino, Gruber said, ‘For me the feeling was good, we just lost the TQ run now in the first & third lap.  I made 15.8 laps.’  Asked if he had particular issues on those laps he replied, ‘They were just slow laps, there was no traffic, it was just the wrong lines and it was a little slower, P2 is still really good.’  Running the second fastest heat asked if he felt this was in anyway hampering his qualifying being unable to gauge his actually pace against his main rivals who are all in the top heat he said, ‘For sure if you have the same pace as the other guys then you have no traffic normally but here now in this run I had completely no traffic so it was perfect for me.’  On his set-up the German plans to go back a little with the caster for the increased grip the track gets over the day.

Taking his World Title at the other of Bangkok’s famous tracks RC Addict, home to the famous annual TITC, Vejrak was happy to finally find himself in the mix at these Worlds.  He explained, ‘After yesterday, I had a lot of problems, I just tried to keep today clean and get a run with no mistakes.  I was getting a little bit faster each lap but I had one lap in which I had a spin and this cost me a TQ run.  It was almost a 16-second lap and that was the difference to the TQ.’  Still happy to come away with P3, he said, ‘Now I am back in the game and have a chance to win again’.  Asked about his Day 1 problems he said, ‘many small things but causing big problems like trust bearing break before the start of one heat.  But today we have made a good start and now I have good points to make a fight.’

Asked how his Q4 had gone Balestri replied, ‘there was a little bit traffic and maybe my tyres were too small in the end, the car was too loose in the end.’  Finishing 1.8-second down on his team-mate Leino at the end of the 7-miute qualifier, the reigning European Champion added, ‘the start was ok but then they just got too low so we need to think what to do for the next one.’

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November 20, 2024

Chassis Focus – Teemu Leino (Infinity)

Chassis: Infinity IF15-II
Engine: O.S. Speed T1203
Exhaust: O.S. TT01 EFRA 2672
Radio: Sanwa M17
Servos (Steering/Throttle): Sanwa PGS-LH II
Body: Xtreme CZ1
Tires (handout): Matrix
Fuel (handout): Maxima

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November 20, 2024

Leino takes Q3 to hold overnight TQ at Worlds

Infinity’s Teemu Leino holds the overnight TQ at the 1:10 Nitro World Championship after the Finn became the third different driver in as many rounds to top the times at the Huge RC Circuit in Bangkok today.  Having come close to a TQ run in the second qualifier only to hit traffic at the end of the run allowing team-mate Dario Balestri to take it with the smallest of margins, this time round it was a clean run for Leino who was fastest by 8/10ths of a second from Jilles Groskamp.  The second P2 run from Groskamp it is the Dutch driver who sits second in the ranking overnight ahead of Q2 pace setter Dario Balestri and Toni Gruber who claimed the fastest time in the opening qualifiers of these the 10th running of the Nitro Touring Car class Worlds.

Describing his Q3 TQ as ‘a really good one’, asked if it was a perfect run, Leino replied, ‘it was a clean run, I took off the steering a little bit and it went a little bit slower but it was much more easy to drive.’  Asked about concluding the first of the two day’s of qualifier as the provisional TQ holder, the former World Championship Top Qualifier said, ‘yeah it’s not too bad and the car feels great so we will see what’s going to happen tomorrow.’  On his approach to the final three qualifiers he said, ‘tomorrow we will stay the same.  Now the less steering was better but it depends on the weather at the time of the runs but I would say now it is better to put it safe here.’

After his engine issues & DNS in Q2 asked about his run to another P2 Groskamp replied, ‘I was a little bit worried because we had to change engine and this was my second best engine which I still struggle with the idle but we had a solid run and I am happy to finish the day with two times second.  It was a little bit rich in the bottom so that is why sometimes it shifts a bit late still a good time and I am happy to get second place.’  The former electric touring car World Champion added, ‘Teemu and me where quite a lot faster than the rest now and it was a good battle and I am still happy with the car and the driving is good.  It’s nice that there are three different guys who have TQ now so it’s still really open for tomorrow there is nobody who made three times a zero.’  Asked about tomorrow the Dutch driver said, ‘I just have to be a bit more lucky with the engine and we find a better tuning and make it more stable.  We have to check the head shim clearance and maybe there is something wrong with the carburetor.  We try another engine for sure tomorrow just to make ready for the finals.’

Backing up his Q2 TQ with the 6th fastest time, Balestri said, ‘I was close to Teemu until I broke second gear 4-laps before the end, we need to check why’.  The two time 1:8 World Champion for whom the 1:10 Title eludes him despite always being in the hunt and being the 2018 Top Qualifier, he continued, ‘my car was ok so I will keep same for tomorrow and tomorrow is another day.  Everything is still open because I still have the fastest time.’

Summing up his final effort of the day, Gruber said, ‘Overall not bad, it was P5.  I was a little too slow in the beginning before we refuel, there I lost the time.  I drove too safe.’  He continued, ‘I took too long to build up the confidence, for the car, for the line, for the speed.  I need too long to feel that I can push and then on the refuel the cable for the lid got caught in the engine head and the fuel tank stays a little bit up.  So when the fuel tank was full it was spilling out on the brake and I think on the tyres, so I miss a little bit of steering and no brake anymore but after a few laps when fuel went down it was not a problem anymore.  With the lid still open the engine was more lean so I had more power which for 2-minutes was ok and then the car was really good.’  After about his contrasts in days between yesterday’s P18 in seeding and now sitting P4 with a TQ run to his credit he said, ‘Completely different, you cannot compare today to the rest of the 5-days, it was a completely new day.  Tomorrow is another day so lets see.’

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November 20, 2024

Chassis Focus – Toni Gruber (Capricorn)

Chassis: Capricorn C04
Engine: Ielasi Tuned GP3R ’24
Exhaust: Ielasi Tuned EFRA 2701
Radio: KO Propo EX-Next
Servos (Steering/Throttle): PowerHD S15
Body: Xtreme CZ1
Tires (handout): Matrix
Fuel (handout): Maxima

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November 20, 2024

Balestri just edges out Leino to take Q2 in Bangkok

Dario Balestri has taken the second round of qualifying at the 1:10 Nitro World Championship after just edging out Infinity team-mate Teemu Leino in the closing laps of the 7-minute encounter.  After both himself and Leino DNF’d the opening qualifier, both drivers needed to get their first points on the board.  With Toni Gruber, who took everyone by surprise with his TQ in Round 1, having a slower Q2, and second fastest man Jilles Groskamp unable to start after suffering an engine failure in the warm-up for his second quali run, it was Leino who lead out the top heat.  However, hitting traffic at the end of the run as Balestri set his fastest lap on his penultimate lap it was the Italian who took it by 13/100ths of a second from the Finn.  Behind the Europeans Australia’s Jessie Davis bettered his Q1 P6 with the third fastest time with Francesco Tironi again in the mix at the front after his opening P3 effort.  While Gruber would set the 6th fastest time for Q2 the Capricorn driver would have his time deleted as his rear wing was deemed to be too high in post tech inspection.

‘It was a clean a run, I am not sure the fastest run but we got good points’, was how Balestri described his TQ run.  The 2018 World Championship Top Qualifier in Miami added, ‘I was driving safe I would say because everyone is on the limit with the flip and even in the second part of the qualification the clutch was on the limit’.  Removing he worked on removing his car’s engine to check the clutch he said, You need to not only focus on your driving style but also focus on the complete package, the engine, clutch, everything.  It is a real challenge.’

‘I had traffic the last three laps that’s why I lost it’ was Leino reaction after Q2.  He continued, ‘I also had traffic after my refueling but at he end with the white car I lost the most time.  I also had one mistake when I was on two wheels for a long time.’   On his car he said, ‘It is good but really hard, you turn and get on two wheels.  But if you take off the steering it is slower, so it’s really hard.’  After his Q1 DNF he concluded, ‘I need two more finish runs and then it’s OK.’

Asked about his Top 3 run, Davis replied, ‘Yeah it was alright.  The first one was a good one too but I had one flip and without this I was TQ pace so I didn’t change the car, kept going and just tried to get one in the bag.  I didn’t drive particularly good that one but got the points.  The car is feeling pretty good and pretty stable so we’ll just leave it as it is for now and try & get some more points in this evening, we need one more to be safe.  Tomorrow then maybe we will try some set-up changes.’  In these conditions it is really difficult, you will see every round I reckon someone else TQ so there will be 6 different round TQs.  Just who can keep it on the track longest with the fastest pace.’

Reacting to his Q2 performance before finding out about his disqualification, Gruber said, ‘with the temperatures coming up we feel more grip and it was more difficult to drive, it was nearly critical to flip so that’s why I had to drive more easier and you see that in the laps times’.  Running in the second fastest heat after his struggles in seeding he added, ‘I also had problems in traffic so in the end I am still happy with 6th place.’

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November 20, 2024

Gruber catches World by surprise with opening TQ run

Toni Gruber caught the world by surprise this morning after the Capricorn driver TQ’d the opening round of qualifying at the 1:10 Nitro World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand.  Having struggled in yesterday’s seeding, ending up only 18th and in the second fastest heat, a very deflated Gruber surprised even himself with his 7-minute effort in the first of the six scheduled rounds of qualifier.   Having been so far off the pace in seeding,  Gruber’s performance would also catch out Jilles Groskamp.  Topping the fastest heat from Infinity team-mate Francesco Tironi, Groskamp admitted afterwards he thought he had TQ’s the round and it wasn’t until he looked up the times afterwards he realised Gruber’s impressive turn around in form.  As the Top Seed for qualifying reigning World Champion Tadahiko Sahashi was running the Top 3 but his car came to a stop after running out of fuel.  1:8 World Champion Dario Balestri also had a rough start to Day 1 of qualifying traction rolling and then suffering a flame out.  Topping the final seeding round yesterday, Teemu Leino also had a flame out.

With the mood in the Gruber camp at an all time low yesterday, even a normally upbeat and smily Daniele Ielasi was down as a result of his driver’s lack of pace, the 1:8 GT World Champion was somewhat at a loss to explain his TQ run.  Asked if he had something extra special for breakfast this morning, the German replied, ‘to be honest I make nothing special, I just drive.  We made some little adjustments to the car compared to yesterday evening and we hoped it would work a little better than yesterday but we didn’t think it would work so good that I could be on top now.  It’s a real surprise.’  Asking if his TQ run, which was 7/10ths faster than Groskamp’s time, was a major confidence boost, Gruber agreed but aired caution by adding, ‘It is important to stay calm and not overthink things, drive, and stay relaxed.’  Asked about changes to his car for his next run, he replied laughing, ‘definitely not, we stay the same.’  Asked how his car felt on the TQ run he said, ‘It feels slow and easy to drive but when heard my lap times at 15.3 it was a real surprise.’

One of RC Racing truly good guys, reacting to his P2, Groskamp said, ‘It was a shame Toni was faster but we just didn’t think about him.  I was first thinking yeah I got the TQ but then OK.  But no it is good that Toni is up there now, for the race it is good, for everybody, so we need to push more.  Of course it is a surprise because for four days he was nowhere and then bang he is fastest. Off the 5-days of practice, the first two days we only did single laps and I was actually fastest, and then after we got 3-laps and it was still good for controlled practice I just wanted to focus on the 7-minutes and take it easy with a smooth car.  I think that now showed today, my car was safe all 7-minutes.’  I really wanted to get a clean run the first round just to get my mind straight and don’t get the pressure for the upcoming runs.  It was a shame I didn’t know the time Toni ran so really the last few minutes I took it super easy and also our pit stop so I lost half a second in the pit stop to Toni.  The problem is if you flip here most of the time the car breaks or tweaks and then you are completely starting over again in the next run and something could be still bent, the car is so hard for the car with the steel barriers but my car was fast and drivable for 7-minutes.’

Pleased with his opening effort Tironi said, ‘All the week the car works well, the balance was good from the beginning.  So for the first one I just tried to take no risk and finish the heat with a good performance, so I am happy and confident for the next one’.  Asked if there is potential to push more in Q2, the hugely experienced Italian and 2012 Worlds podium finisher replied, ‘For sure I can try to push more by myself but I am not sure that this also mean that the performance will be better but I do have more I can do.’  On car changes for the second round, he said, ‘we are just thinking if we start with new or old tyres and we will adjust a little the gearbox but the I don’t touch anything else.’

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