Contrasting morning for Rheinard and Volker

It was a contrasting start to the final day of racing at the 21st Reedy Race of Champions for joint overnight points leaders Marc Rheinard and Ronald Volker. Reigning Champion Rheinard would have the perfect start coming up the grid to claim his fifth win of the event while Volker dropped to third from a front row starting position.  In the first race of the day, early contact at the front of the grid allowed Rheinard to shoot into the lead and pull clear of the field with his race time now giving the Infinity driver the tiebreaker – the combined time of his fastest three races.  For Volker, he started alongside pole sitter Jan Ratheisky but the Xray driver drove a great race keeping the World Champion at bay.  Ratheisky’s second win of the event, this one clearly meant a lot to the friendly German. Struggling with his Yokomo in the cold overcast morning conditions at Tamiya Raceway, Volker then got off line allowing team mate Christopher Krapp to slip through for second.  The result means with three races left, and drivers two permitted drops taken out, Rheinard holds a 1-point advantage.  In the other race of Round 9, Akio Sobue took his second win of the event ahead of a Brandon Clements who had a great battle with Randy Caster, Ryan Cavalieri and David Jun.

‘I couldn’t have asked for a better start’, was Rheinard’s reaction to his 3.6-seconds win over Meen Vejrak and Jilles Groskamp.  Chasing his 7th Reedy Race title, he continued, ‘I got lucky in the start. I think Jilles and Andy touched, I’m not sure but I benefited from it and once in front I just tried to keep it on the track and take the win’.  Checking the latest points standing and in particular keen to see the tie break time, which Volker held at the end of Day 2, he said, ‘I didn’t take any risks but I knew I had to go for a better time and it worked well’.

Commenting on a disappointing start to the day, Volker said, ‘that was the first time my car wasn’t to my liking. It came a a bad time’.  He went on, ‘I struggled for overall grip and couldn’t put enough pressure on Jan to pass while he was defending well as expected.  I could at least have been second but made a mistake and got dust on my tyres and lost second.  At least I gave it to Christopher’.  Set to start Round 10 third on the grid with Rheinard lining up 7th in the same race he said, ‘for the next race we will make changes but we need to wait to see if the sun comes out’.

Krapp, who is in a battle with Viktor Wilck for the final podium position said, ‘they were important points to get second.  I got a good start right away and my car was again on point so overall it was good for the podium’.  Set to start his next race on the front row the Yokomo driver said, ‘finally I got a front row race but it will be a tough one with Akio, Meen and Viktor in the same race.  The main goal will be to take points from Viktor’.  Commenting on the first race of the day, Wilck said, ‘that was not good’.  Finishing 4th, the Serpent driver said, ‘we changed the flex and it was way to loose so I couldn’t fight’.

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Volker & Rheinard tied going into final day at Reedy Race

The stage is set for the Reedy Race of Champions to bid a thrilling farewell to Tamiya Raceway tomorrow, with today’s action ending with two of the legendary race’s most successful drivers tied on points.  Having eked out a one point advantage with a win over Volker in Round 7, the 8th & final round of racing today saw Volker reverse that result but only after an unfortunate Akio Sobue went out of the race while leading.  Starting from pole, the Infinity driver had a comfortable lead over Volker and Rheinard, who both survived separate crashes in the opening corners of the race, but with a minute to go his camber link worked its way loose coming off in the kink to end the Japanese driver’s chances of a second win.  This left Volker who started 5th to take the win ahead of Rheinard who started from the back and going into the final four races tomorrow they both have four wins each to share the lead on 8 points although on current tiebreaker it is advantage Volker.  Looking more podium contenders rather than outright title winners, the final race of the day would see Viktor Wilck and Christopher Krapp go up against one another, both starting from the back row. A delighted Jan Ratheisky would get his first win of the event ahead of pole sitter Sam Isaacs with Wilck getting 3rd and Krapp fourth, a result that both drivers have as a counting drop in the latest standings.  In the other race, Ryan Cavalieri added a second win to his tally with a dominant victory ahead of Meen Vejrak and Keven Hebert.

Commenting on his race Volker said, ‘I had a good start and went from 5th to 3rd in the sweeper but then coming out of the hairpin Rick’s (Hohwart) car (having cleared the boards) hit me head on. It was a big impact so I thought my race was over but the car somehow survived. It just had a minor tweak’.  The 2009, 2014 & 2016 Champion continued, ‘I was chasing Akio but then Marc and I got lucky when he had to retire.  Now we are tied so everything is possible tomorrow’.  With drivers only set to find out their starting positions for the final four rounds of racing tomorrow morning, he said, ‘the car works well. I’m happy with the performance of the car and the electrics and there is nothing else we can do to prepare for the next day’.

‘Normally 2nd from 8th is good but I wish Ronald didn’t take the win. It’s a pity Akio’s camber link came out’, was Rheinard’s reaction.  He continued, ‘I had a crash in the first corner, it was not a big hit but the car didn’t feel the same as before and I couldn’t catch up to Ronald’.  Asked his thoughts on tomorrow’s deciding four races as he chases his 7th Reedy Race title, the reigning champion simply replied, ‘we will see’.

Two points off the leaders, on his latest race Wilck said, ‘It was ok points coming from the back.  I had a chance for second but it was too risky to pass him’ – him being Isaacs.  Holding the final podium position with a three point advantage over Krapp going into the last day, asked about his chances tomorrow the Serpent driver replied, ‘we have to see the starting positions but it will be very hard to catch up to Ronald & Marc, they only need two more results and its over but we will see if something happens tomorrow’.

A disappointed Krapp said, ‘this was the expected unlucky race you have to have over the 12 races’. The Yokomo driver continued, ‘My car was on point so I’m disappointed with 4th. I quickly got up to Viktor but I couldn’t take him’. Looking to tomorrow, the former runner-up said, ‘I will still fight for the podium tomorrow. I will give my all’.

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Rheinard goes to the top at RROC with win No.4

Marc Rheinard has moved to the top of the points standings for the first time at the Reedy Race of Champions, the Infinity driver notching up his fourth win at the 21st running of the legendary race in the seventh round of racing.  Starting from pole, it was another important win for the reigning champion as both Ronald Volker and Christopher Krapp were in the same heat.  Even better for Rheinard was the fact his main challenge came from Krapp as Volker was delayed getting through the field and could only manage 3rd, his lowest finish so far.  As a result of the win, Rheinard now holds a 1-point lead over Volker going into the final race of Day 2’s action.  The other significant result from the round came in Race 3 as Viktor Wilck saw off a challenge from Jilles Groskamp to register his third win moving him back up to third in the points ahead of Krapp.  Having taking a popular win the day’s opening round of racing, David Jun claimed another in Round 7 becoming only the 5th driver with multiple wins, the Team Associated driver joking afterwards ‘they are two wins more than I was expecting’.

Commenting on his race, Rheinard, ‘Even though I started 1st I knew Ronald and Krappi would come up and there would be a fight.  When I got on the green Krappi closed right up but we both had the same pace and I could take the win. It’s for sure an important result’.  Set to go up against Volker again in the day’s final encounter, he said, ‘I start last, Ronald is 5th ad Akio is on the front row. I hope Akio can win it and that I can get a Top 3’.

‘I thought I could catch Marc so I’m disappointed but we both had the same pace’, was Krapp’s reaction to the result.  The Yokomo driver continued, ‘I’ll take the second. Every round I’ve been in the Top 3 so I had no drop result yet so I will just try now to be a little more aggressive’. Set to start his next race from last on the 8 car grid he said, ‘with no drop, I can try something.’  Admitting Marc’s form and latest win are making the title a increasingly difficult prospect for him he concluded,  ‘the podium is still wide open’.

Volker said, ‘It was a tough heat with Marc and Krappi starting ahead of me.  I took too long to get by Albano.  He did a good job holding me behind and I was only able to get by after 3-minutes when he rolled’.  The Yokomo driver continued, ‘the car was there again but the gap was too big by the time I got by’.  Feeling he hasn’t capitalise on his front row starts as well as Rheinard, he said, ‘I hope for the rest of the races I can have more benefits from my starts’.  The German also said, ‘I am glad me and Marc are racing more often this year.  We start 5 of out of 8 races together were as in the past it has sometimes only been twice over the whole weekend’.  Drivers don’t yet know the starting order of tomorrow’s final four races, the grid sheets only being released on the morning of each race day.

Lining up on the front row alongside pole sitter Kyle Klingforth, Wilck said, ‘It was a good good start and then Kyle made a mistake so I had a clear lead’.  He continued, ‘then Jilles was coming a little but I could control the race to the end’.  Having felt his car lacked pace in the previous round, the 2012 Reedy Champion, the race held at Norcal that year, said, ‘we improved the car a little that time by making a little more flex in the upper bulk head and we will leave it as now for today’.  Faced with a back row start alongside Krapp for Round 8 he said, ‘I’ll just start and see what happens’.

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