February 9, 2025

Volker dominates in Czech to retake MIBO title

Ronald Volker has dominated the third edition of MIBO International, the Mugen Seiki driver sending his rivals a clear signal that the former World Champion and his new MTC3 are going to be a serious force to be reckoned with in 2025.  With Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski calling the German’s performance in Czech ‘a wake up for us’, after topping all five rounds of qualifying it looked like the finals were just going to be a Sunday formality to Volker picking up his second MIBO International winners trophy.  Even contact with a lapped car couldn’t help his rivals get anywhere near challenging him for the lead let alone the win.  A2 however would be the first time we wouldn’t see the MTC3 top the result sheets, a pile up on another section of the track sending Adam Iszay’s Xray into Volker’s path and with a body tuck he feel down the order before pulling off.  Orlowski took the leg win as a result of the chaos ahead of Patrick Gollner, the new Mugen signing further highlighting the potential of the Robert Pietsch designed car.  With outside trouble managing to avoid him in A3, Volker sealed the deal with half a lap advantage over Orlowski – widely recognised as the current benchmark in touring car especially on carpet.  Giving Mugen double reason to celebrate, Gollner secured the final step on the podium ahead of Yokomo’s Christopher Krapp and Xray’s Adam Iszay, the latter, like Volker, retaking the Pro Stock title he won at the inaugural MIBO International in 2023.

Congratulating Volker on his dominant performance and highlighting the only foot put wrong was not his fault, he replied, ‘Thank you very much.  A2 was very unfortunate, I got taken out by someone else’s accident, otherwise it was a perfect weekend.’   He added, ‘we got the car even better each day and I couldn’t imagine to have such a gap so we are super happy with the new car.  I couldn’t ask for more so we are heading in the right direct.’  At the top level of the sport a long time he knows however that the result will motivate his rivals saying, ‘for Orlowski for sure it also motivating, he will come back strong.  I think the last time I beat him was 2022’.  He continued, ‘the way my car felt and my whole package I am confident for the upcoming races and also for Thailand even though everything is different over there.’  Asked when he expects the new car to be released, he replied ‘within a few months I think is the most accurate answer, it could be a month earlier or later’, Volker clearly not wanting to over promise on people getting a hold of the car for themselves.  He concluded by referring to the car as ‘a masterpiece by Robert Pietsch.’

Coming into the weekend as the defending Modified Touring Car Champion, asked to sum up his performance against Volker, Orlowski said, ‘Ronald was really strong this weekend and we have work to do.’  The Pole continued, ‘we had a really good car last year and we keep trying to find new things for the set-up but I can’t seem to be able to improve further on from there so we need to look somewhere else.  I was second in the end but the gap was huge, we’ll work towards the next race and see but it was a wake up for us.’  With that next race being the TITC, this year being the first time he will travel to Thailand for the iconic Bangkok race, he replied, ‘not the best feeling right now going into TITC but it is a different story so we will try to enjoy the almost 2-weeks in Thailand for the first time for me and hope to enjoy the race and see what we can do there.’

Summing up his podium finish, Gollner said, ‘for me it is a perfect start to the new season with the new team.  I am pretty proud and thankfully to Ronald for his help.’   The Austrian continued, ‘I think we made the right steps and found some new things on the new car.  The basic is amazing but I think we are only at 90% of the car’s potential and we can figure out more.  I am proud to be in this team here.’

In Pro Stock Adam Izsay claimed Xray’s third straight MIBO title in the race’s biggest category but he did have it all his own way.  Securing the overall TQ, he won A1 ahead of David Ehrbar and Martin Hudy, the Xray designer looking to be really enjoying being in the mix against his team drivers.   A2 would see Hudy take the win as an altercation ended Izsay’s race early.  Double up with Modified Touring Car duties, in A3 lead home Hudy to take back the title he previous won at the inaugural MIBO International 2-year ago.  A very pleased Hudy joined him on the podium with Ehrbar making it an all Xray affair.  In FWD, German’s Phil Langner becomes the new champion holding outgoing champion Stefan Schulz at bay in both qualifying and the finals. Gergö Valent completed the podium.

View full onroad results here.

February 9, 2025

Kaerup & Kobbeik Top Qualifiers at MIBO International

Kicking off Mains day at MIBO International with the fifth & final qualifier, it would not net any changes in terms of who will be starting on pole in the Czech Republic, Marcus Kaerup keeping the overall TQ in 4WD while Daniel Kobbevik repeated his 2024 TQ of 2WD.  With 3 from 5 to count, drivers first battle of the day was to decide 2WD with Kaerup needing a TQ run and the fastest time of the weekend to deny Kobbevik, the scenario reversed for 4WD.  While Kaerup started well, his Team Associated running at the top of the timing screens he touched a pipe and rolled ending his chances as Bartosz Zaleswski took the round ahead of Martin Bayer to secure P3 on the grid as Kobbevik’s Schumacher locked in the overall TQ.  In 4WD, with Kaerup on 3rd run tyres, Kobbevik moved quickly to the front on track but it was defending Champion Zaleswski who had the fastest buggy.  The only driver dipping into 16-second lap times, he kicked off his day with a second TQ run finishing almost 6-seconds clear of Kobbevik who got a P2 for the round and held that same spot on the starting grid behind Kaerup.  Again the 18-year-old will be the leading Xray challenger also lining up P3 in 4WD.

Summing up the final round of qualifying Kaerup was pleased to get the Top Qualifier honours for 4WD on his MIBO International debut saying, ‘It was my third run on those tyres so I was a little behind on pace and Daniel could get by me but in the end we have the TQ and I am confident for the finals’.  On 2WD he explained, ‘I hit a pipe and rolled but the car is good and starting from P2 is fine, the finals are going to be all about the 5-minutes’, the track has been challenging even the best of the drivers to go the full distance without a mistake.

‘A good start to the day to get the TQ overall again.  I did the same last year but this time I will try to keep it together in the finals.  I feel the car is good for the Mains’, was Kobbevik’s reaction to becoming the 2WD Top Qualifier.  On 4WD he said, ‘I knew it was going to be difficult to get the TQ and in a better time than Marcus if I was to take the TQ.  I’m happy with second.’  With tyres playing a big role in the final qualifying round, the Norwegian hinted that he has played the tyre game well for the finals.

February 8, 2025

Kobbevik & Kaerup hold overnight TQ at MIBO

Daniel Kobbevik and Marcus Kaerup hold the overnight Offroad TQs at MIBO International with one round of qualifying to go but it was very contrasting finishes to the day’s action for the pair.  For Kobbevik the penultimate round of qualifying saw the Schumacher driver do the double topping the time for both 2WD and 4WD.  For Kaerup however his day ended with a bang as he clipped a track marker resulted in what he described himself as a ‘major break’ on his Team Associated.  Having TQ’d the second 2WD qualifying the time of fastest time of the day Q4 TQ run means the Norwegian holds the top on the rankings having finished the day equal on points with Kaerup who took the other two rounds.  Now a two way shot out for the pole position, Kaerup needs to take Q5 and better Kobbevik’s time.  In 4WD Kaerup was the only driver to manage to double his TQ tally taking Q3 after opening qualifying with the fastest run.  While Czech Sworkz driver Dominik Vlášek surprised with a TQ run in Q2, it is also going to be a battle of Scandinavians for the 4WD pole position, Kobbevik needing a TQ that is quicker that than set by Kaerup in Q3.  Behind them, top seed for both categories and the defending 4WD Champion Bartek Zalewski completes the overnight Top 3 in 2WD with his Xray with the Polish driver still not happy with the performance of his buggies since qualifying started.  In 4WD it is the Sworkz of Micha Widmaier in third, the Austrian looking very competitive as he ended the day with a P2 despite a late mistake.

‘A perfect way to end the day’, was the reaction of Kobbevik to his double TQ in Round 4.  He continued, ‘2WD was as good as the first one, I made no changes to it.  4WD we improved the car a bit so I have a good feeling with it going into tomorrow.’  Asked about tomorrow, last year’s double podium finisher replied that his objective was ‘a good night sleep to get ready to fight tomorrow.  It has been a long day.’

Asked what happened him in the final 4WD qualifier Kaerup said, ‘I clipped a marker and it was game over.’  The Danish teenager continued, ‘It was going really good.  I feel I found some pace after a set-up change so I am confident for tomorrow.  Overall it was a good day.’  On his 2WD he said, ‘I had good pace and a pace advantage I just need to put a clean 5-minutes together.’

Coming undone from a potential TQ run when he got stuck in a corner, Widmaier said his 4WD ‘feels very good’ and also over the full 5-minutes in terms of consistency.  Declaring he is ‘really looking forward to tomorrow’, on his 2WD he said this is ‘a little bit of a struggle’.  Stopping to save tyres in Q1, in Q3 his buggy broke on a straight forward landing leading him to believe he had actually broken it in a previous round.  These two DNFs mean that he has to delivery a good result in Q5 to give make the A-Main.  He concluded, ‘I remember last year that things were a bit chaotic so I’ll just try to get a good starting position and then see what happens.’