Reedy Race Champion set to be decided in Round 10

This year’s Touring Car Reedy Race Champion looks set to be decided this evening in the 10th round of racing at new venue Steel City RC Speedway.  Originally scheduled to run over 12 rounds of racing, rain is looking increasingly likely to wash out Sunday’s 2 remaining rounds meaning the Champion of the 22nd running of the legendary race will be decided between former champion Ronald Volker and Viktor Wilck in today’s final round of heads up racing.  Just one point separates Wilck from longtime points leader Volker after the former finished 2nd in front of his rival in the Round 9 encounter – Brandon Clements winning the heat from the pole as the big battles happened behind the American.  With Marc Rheinard finishing second in the other encounter behind second time heat winner Nicholas Lee, and Akio Sibue only fourth, the 7-time defending champion now looks almost certain relinquish the Mike Reedy perpetual trophy with a podium finish.

Needing nothing but a win to try to regain the title he won back in 2012, on his Round 9 performance Wilck said, ‘the car was really good but I just took too long to get to the front’.  The Infinity driver continued, ‘the (grid) system is the problem because for the last round Ronald will drive alone again’ – the Swede meaning that his rival is in the easier of the two heats. He added, ‘It really a shame what happened in the morning run because with that result I would have already won overall. I will try my best in the last one but it’s a big ask as even if I win Ronald only needs a second and he will win on the tie break’.

Commenting on his race, Volker said, ‘At least Viktor didn’t get the win.  When I was passing a few guys he got by me. I was still lacking steering so I couldn’t fight back and now it comes down to the last one’.  The Yokomo driver concluded, ‘I hope we can improve the car and fight for the single point’ – 1 point awarded for a race win.

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Volker edges clear at Reedy Race with win No.4 over Wilck

Ronald Volker has moved a step closure to a fourth Reedy Race of Champions title after taking an important win ahead of Viktor Wilck in the seventh round of heads up racing at Steel City R/C Speedway.  With two drops from the 7 rounds run so far, Volker holds a 3-point lead over Wilck with the gap to third placed Marc Rheinard now up at 4-points.  For the defending champion, his latest race was another disappointing run as he got a P4 which he is currently counting together with his P7 from the day’s opening round as his two drop scores.  That encounter was won by RROC debutant Lucas Urbain, the Awesomatix driver winner from previous round winners, Ryan Cavalieri and Akio Sobue.

‘For sure that was an important heads up with Viktor to stay in front of him and get the single point’, was how Volker summed up win No.4 of this year’s event.  The 3-time Champion, who went to the front when JJ Wang spun out in the sweeper with 6-laps to go, continued, ‘He put me under a lot of pressure so I’m just happy I was able to save that one. It was an important one’.  Breaking Wilck’s run of fastest laps, the German concluded, ‘The car was for sure better than the 1st run but we will make an adjustment to get a little more steering under braking for the next one’.

Commenting of his battle with Volker, Wilck said, ‘I was unlucky again. They (Volker & Wang) crashed together and they still go out in front. And again he (Volker) started in front of me’.  Lining up 5th with his title rival 3rd on the grid, the incident the Swede was referring to was when the two leaders made contact on the entry to the chicane but unable to avoid both cars he couldn’t capitalise and all three resumed in the same running order.  Having looked very strong yesterday to battle for a second Reedy Race title, looking at the latest points table the 2012 Champion said, ‘Now its pretty much over actually. The heat before killed me when I hit two back markers.  That should have been a win’.

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Volker comes off best as tricky Rd6 produces 2 new winners

Ronald Volker came out best on tricky track conditions this morning at Steel City RC Speedway, as the first round of racing on Day 2 of the Reedy Race of Champions produced two new winners.  With the first heat of Round 6 loaded with three title contenders after yesterday’s action, it looked like Viktor Wilck was going to close the gap on overnight points leader Volker with a win but at the 3-minute mark while holding a comfortable he collected a car that spun out in front of him in the sweeper pulling the front right corner off his Infinity.  This gave the lead back to Ryan Cavalieri who would see of a late challenge from Volker who ended up P2.  Ending yesterday with a win but not happy with his set of tyres, having to use the same tyres again this morning Marc Rheinard would spin out twice in the race and end up 7th.  The second encounter would see Akio Sobue register his first win, finishing ahead of early leader Rick Hohwart, Kyle Klingforth and Round 3 winner JJ Wang.

‘It was a hard one. The traction was terrible out there. It was hard for everyone’, was how Volker summed up the first race of the day.  The Yokomo driver continued, ‘I crashed by myself once trying to just keep the car on the track’.  A good round for the 3-time champion in terms of his rivals, he said, ‘I’m happy I beat Marc and Viktor. It was an important 2nd place’.  Looking to the next race, all drivers having new tyres for Round 7, he said, ‘we will try to make the car more comfortable. Everyone is looking for better balance from their car’.

Commenting on his first win, Cavalieri said, ‘the track was very slimy.  After the first few lap I was just trying to hold on for the rest of the race but I managed to squeeze a win out of it’.  The Offroad ace, who has become a regular of the the Touring Car Reedy Race in recent years, continued, ‘the lap times and pace was so bad right now.  What ever they sprayed on the track is making it worse. It’s going to be a tough day’.

Explaining how he lost an almost certain win, Wilck said, ‘two cars were stopped in front of me and I hit them.  I was cruising and they spun out at the end of the straight and I couldn’t avoid them. It’s a shame. I was an easy win’.  Continuing to set the fastest lap for each round, the pace this morning much slower, the Swede shared the general feedback from drivers that the track was ‘more slippery’ than yesterday.

‘Super difficult’, was Sobue’s reaction after his first win of this the 22nd running of the legendary race.  He said after I over took Jan and had to drive safe and even driving like this I spun out at the end of the straight. It was super difficult to stay on the racing line.

View the event image gallery here.